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SYSTEMATIC 


VIEW  OF  DIVINITY  ; 


OR) 


1;  THE  RUIN  AND  RECOVERY  OF  MAN.;£ 

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BY  MOSES  MATHER,  O.  D. 


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i   LATE  PASTOR  OF  THE  CHVRCH  OF  CHRIST  IN  STAMlTOBD,  2^ 


(mitdlesex  society)  con. 


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Near  /'..w,   -..  ......     ^/Israel,  Is  no*,  my  ivay  equal  ?  p 

-^S  Are  not  your  nvaya  nneqiiat  ?  f 

a*  EZEKiKT.,  xvm.  25.      I 


PUBLISHED  BY  NATHAN  WEED. 

1813. 


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SYSTEMATIC 
VIEW  OF  DIVINITY; 


OR] 


THE  RUIN  AND  RECOVERY  OF  MAN. 


BY  MOSES  MATHER,  D.  D. 

vLATE   PASTOR  OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST   IN  STAMJOuii, 
(MIDDLESEX  SOCIETY)   CON. 


Hear  noiv,  O  house  of  Israelj  Is  not  my  way  equal  ? 
Are  not  your  ways  unequal  ? 

EZEKIEL,    XVHI.    25. 


STAMFORD,  COJV. 
PUBLISHED  BY  NATHAN  WEED, 

1813. 


.i.  iSpooner,  Printer,  BrooklyiU 


PREFACE. 


A  PROBATIONER  for  eternity,  who  must  be  ac- 
countable for  his  belief,  as  well  as  for  his  practice,^ 
can  surely  never  need  to  apologise  for  his  making  a 
free  inquiry  into  the  principles  of  our  holy  religion." 
It  is  easier  much,  to  take  things  upon  trust,  and  to 
profess  and  practice  according  as  things  have  beea 
handed  down  by  our  predecessors,  than  to  take  the 
pains  of  examining  for  ourselves,  that  our  faith  may- 
stand  upon  the  clciu'  evidence  of  the  truth,  rather 
than  an  implicit  affiance  in  the  sufficiency  and  cer- 
tainty of  those  searches  after  truth,  which  have  been 
made  by  such  as  have  gone  before  us.  But  although 
a  free  inquiry  is  not  only  justifiable,  but  even  lauda- 
ble ;  yet  a  respect  and  veneration  for  our  worthy 
predecessors  ought  so  far  to  prevail,  as  to  make  us 
cautious  how  we  depart  from  their  sentiments  ;  lest 
the  love  of  novelty,  (a  passion  incident  to  the  hu- 
man mind)  should  betray  us  into  errors  and  danger- 
ous niist^akes  :  yet  where  the  light  of  truth,  upon  a 
close  and  deliberate  search  after  it,  shines  in  upon 


Xv  PREFACE. 

the  mind  with  its  clear  and  convincing  energy,  it  U 
not  to  be  controled  by  any  human  authority,  though 
the  mo§t  worthy  among  men.  How  far  the  author' 
will  be  accused  of  departing  from  the  beaten  track  in 
the  following  discourse^  especially  with  respect  to 
his  manner  of  explaining  some  important  points  of 
the  christian  system  ;  or  what  censure  may  be  pas- 
sed upon  him  on  account  of  it,  cannot  easily  be  de- 
termined before-hand.  The  reader  will  find  some 
points  of  divinity  brought  up  to  view,  in  a  dress,  in 
some  respects,  different  from  that  in  which  they  have 
commonly  appeared  ;  especially  the  doctrine  of  ori- 
ginal sin  i  which  doctrine,  as  it  has  been  commonly 
stated  and  defended  by  Calvinistic  divines,  is  con- 
fessedly encumbered  with  some  pressing  difficul- 
ties, which  their  Arminian  antagonists  have  eagerly 
laid  hold  of,  and  strenuously  improved  to  the  great 
disadvantage  of  that  doctrine.  But  that  doctrine,  in 
the  manner  in  which  it  is  stated  and  explained  in  the 
following  discourse,  will  be  found  to  have  no  connec- 
tion with  such  things,  nor  to  admit  of  such  conse- 
quences, on  which  the  Arminian  triumphs  are  chiefly 
grounded  ;  and  yet,  every  thing  retained  that  a  strict 
Calvinist  looks  upon  useful.  The  reader  will  also 
find  some  other  doctrines,  which  the  author,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  diligent  inquiry  after  truth,  has  been 
led  to  view  and  exhibit,  in  a  manner  something  sin- 
gular ;  but  whether  it  is,  upon  the  whole,  of  any  real 
advantage  to  religicn,  must  be  subi-aittcd  to  the  read- 
ei's  own  judgment;. 


PREFACE.  V 

It  is  obvious,  that  the  brief  system  held  up  to  view 
in  this  discourse,  proceeds  upon  the  supposition  of 
the  prc-existent  state  of  the  created  nature  of  the 
Son  of  God  ;  a  sentiment,  though  not  generally  re- 
ceived yet  has  been  held  by  many  learned  and  pious 
divines,  in  the  christian  church,  it  is  not  necessary 
for  nie  to  essay  the  establishment  of  this  point.  Such 
as  have  already  undertaken  the  proof  of  it,  have 
brought  such  evidence  from  divine  revelation  for  its 
support,  as  is  not  easily  answered.  For  although 
this  prc-cxistcnt  state  may  not  be  expressly  asserted 
in  any  one  text  ;  yet  it  is  so  strongly  implied  in  vari- 
ous descriptions  of  the  glorious  character  of  our  ex- 
alted Redeemer;  as  is  suITicient  to  persuade  a  rational 
mind  into  the  belief  of  it  ;  especially  since  the  ob- 
jections brouglit  against  it  arc  of  so  Uttle  v/cight,  and 
none  of  the  trutJis  and  doctrines  of  divine  revelation, 
in  any  measure,  Aveakened  by  it ;  and  as  the  admis- 
sion of  i^  will  set  many  difficult  texts  in  a  plain  and 
easy  light ;  and  will  give  us  a  more  ncble  view  of  the 
necessary,  impcntant,  and  e:;alted  character  of  the 
Redeemer,  than  the  contrary  supposition  will  easilv 
admit  of :  v/hich  consideration  is  in  itself,  no  con- 
temptible argument  in  proof  of  it. 

Union  to,  and  communion  with  God  is  essential  to 
the  well-being  and  blessednes  of  created  and  rational 
nature.  This  is  a  truth  too  evident  to  need  proof. 
And  it  is  not  much  less  evident,  that  such  a  mediator 
of  access  to  God  as  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  descri- 
bed to  be,  is  necessary  as  a  foundation  of,  and  a  meihi 

1* 


\i  PREFACE. 

od  to  bring  about  and  accomplish  this  union  -with 
God,  among  all  rational  creatures.  And  if  created 
nature  stands  in  need  of  such  a  mediator  of  access,  it 
"vvill  follow  that  this  is  the  case  of  the  highest,  as  well 
as  of  the  lowest  rank  of  rational  creatures  :  all  which  ' 
is  strongly  implied  in  that  connexion  and  relation  be- 
tween the  Son  of  God,  and  all  things  visible  and  in- 
visible, so  often  mentioned  in  the  sacred  scriptures. 
And  if  the  creator  of  the  universe  is  uniform  in  all 
his  works,  it  will  lead  us  to  suppose,  that  as  God,  be- 
fore he  formed  man  to  be  lord  of  this  lower  world, 
iirst  prepared  an  habitation  for  him,  in  creating  this 
earth,  and  filling  it  with  vegetable  and  animal  life  ; 
so  he  also  jjrovided  for  the  well-being  and  blessed- 
ness of  all  his  rational  creatures,  before  he  brought 
any  of  them  into  existence,  by  this  mysterious  union 
of  the  created  and  uncreated  nature  of  the  Son  of 
God  :  which  will  lead  us  to  understand  that  text  in 
its  most  plain  and  literal  meaning,  where  Christ  styles 
himself  "  The  beginning  of  the  creafion  of  God." 

To  suppose  the  union  of  the  created  and  uncreated 
nature  of  the  Son  of  God,  did  not  commence  till  his 
incarnation,  when  he  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among 
us,  casts  great  obscurity  upon  all  such  texts  as  point 
out  his  connection  with,  and  relation  to  all  orders  of 
rational  creatures,  even  the  angels  of  light,  as  well  as 
the  children  of  men,  who  are  gathered  together  into 
one  in  him  ;  and  brings  down  the  mediatorial  char- 
acter so  low,  as  to  confine  his  influence  in  that  capa- 
city, merely  to  the  fallen  race  of  Adam  ;  which  is  a 


PREFACE.  \u 

low,    and  diminiitive  character,    compared  to  that 
which  our  Redeemer  appears  clothed  with,  when  we 
consider   him  as  a  mediator  of  access  to  God  for  all 
rational    creatures  throughout   the   whole    system  ; 
which  with  strong  evidence  appears  to  be  the  doc- 
trine  of  divine   revelation.     Indeed,  we  should  not 
have  needed  a  Redeemer  to  save  us  from  the  curse,  if 
we  had  not  violated   the  divine  lav/.      But  does  it 
hence  follow,  that  the  original  natural  distance  be- 
tween God  and  man,  was  not  so  great,  but  that  man 
was  capable  of  enjoying  all  necessary  union  and  com- 
munion with  God,  for  securing  his  safety,  and  com- 
pleting his  blessedness,  without  assistance  from  such 
a  mediator  as  Christ  is  described  to  be,  in  the  gos- 
pel ?    Such  a  conceit  must  surely  arise  from  too  low 
conceptions  of  the  Deity,  and  exalted  notions  of  the 
creature.     There  are  but  few  truths  which  appear  to 
the  rational  mind  in  a  stronger  light,  than  that  of  our 
necessary  dependence  on  God#    And  if  in  connexion 
with  our  necessary  dependence  on  him,  we  consider 
the  infinite  distance  between  God  and  the  creature, 
modesty  would  teach  us  at  least,  to  acknowledge  the 
propriety,  if  not  to  see  the  necessity  of  a  mediator  of 
access  to  him,  as  the  way  in  which  our  interest  in 
him  might  be  secured,  and  the  enjoyment  of  him 
obtained.       Some    have  *expressed    themselves   in 
bold  and  strong  terms,    concerning   Adam's  right 
which  he  had  in  his  innocent  state,  to  expect  favor 
and  protection,  and  even  perfect  blessedness,  at  the 
hands  of  his  creator  ;  considered  merely  as  an  iimo- 


viii  -^-  PREFACE. 

cent  creature.  But  in  harangues  of  this  sort,  we  are 
apt  to  forget  that  God  had  as  much  power  over  him, 
as  the  potter  has  over  the  clay,  who  of  the  same 
hirop,  makes  one  vessel  unto  honor,  and  another  to 
dishonor  ;  which,  if  true,  might  teach  us  that  an  in- 
nocent creature,  considered  merely  as  such,  can« 
properly  speaking,  have  no  right  or  title  to  any  good 
thing,  nor  make  any  challenge  or  demand  upon  his 
creator.  All  right  or  title  that  any  creature  can  have 
to  any  good  thing  at  the  hand  of  God,  must  be  the  re- 
sult of  some  condescension  on  God's  part,  in  making 
a  covenant  of  grace  with  his  creature,  and  treating 
him  as  a  probationer.  There  is  no  other  conceivable 
way  in  which  a  creature  can  plead  any  title  before 
God.  And  the  experience  we  have  ah'eady  had  of  a 
probation-state,  under  both  th@  first  and  the  second 
covenant,  might  be  reasonably  supposed  sufficient  to 
convince  us  of  the  usefulness  and  propriety  of  a  me- 
diator, even  in  our  j^est  estate.  And  for  the  same 
reason  we  ought  to  acknowledge  the  propriety  and 
usefulness  of  a  mediator  to  Qvery  rank  of  rational 
beings,  how  many,  or  hov/  noble  soever  we  may  sup- 
pose them  to  be. 

How  greatly  does  it  enlarge  our  conceptions  of  the 
glorious  and  exalted  character  ©f  our  divine  Re- 
deemer, when  we  consider  him  as  the  beginning  of 
the  creation  of  God,  the  first-born  of  evecy  creature, 
and  the  universal  mediator  by  whom  every  order  of 
rational  creatures  throughout  the  whole  system,  en- 
joy access  to  God,  and  communion  with  him  j  above 


prefacl:.  3x- 

what  our  views  of  him  wili  be,  if  we  confine  his  me- 
diatorial influence  to  the  single  race  of  fallen  Adam  ? 
Especially  when  we  turn  our  thoughts  upon  the 
countless  number  of  the  several  and  different  ranks 
of  creatures  which  are  to  be  found  among  the  works 
of  the  great  Jehovah.  How  countless  and  innumera- 
ble are  the  number  of  worlds  which  God  has  made  ! 
if  we  may  give  credit  to  modern  astronomy,  which, 
as  it  is  founded  upon  the  mathematics,  that  of  all  sci- 
ences, is  the  least  liable  to  deceive,  clearly  discovers 
the  number  of  world*  that  God  hath  made,  to  exceed 
our  most  lively  imagination.  Our  Solar  System  con* 
tains  six  primary  Planets,  one  of  which  ^specially,  is 
more  than  an  hundred  times  as  large  as  this  earth ; 
and  there  are  ten  secondary  planets  like  the  moon, 
which  accomplish  their  several  revolutions  round  the 
primary  ones,  as  they  do  round  the  sun.  So  that 
there  are  no  less  than  sixteen  worlds  included  in  our 
solar  system,  all  receiving  their  light  and  heat  frona 
the  sun.*  Add  to  this,  the  late  transit  of  Venus 
across  the  sun,  has  discovered  a  small  satellite  or 
moon  attending  that  planet  also,  which,  by  reason  of 
its  situation  between  us  and  the  sun,  escaped  the  ob- 
servation of  the  ancients.  Such  also  as  have  been 
accounted  as  spots  in  the  sun,  are  more  rationally 
supposed  to  be  less  planets  revolviiig  round  the  sun 
in  less  circles.  And  even  the  sun  itself,  the  source 
of  light  and  heat  to  the  whole  system  ;  although  vul- 

*  This  work  was  v.'iitten  pieviou!)  to  the  Ute  discoveries 
ia  Astronomy. 


s  PREFACE. 

garly  accounted  a  great  mass  of  fire,  is  much  mor§ 
reasonably  esteemed  an  electrical  machine,  which  is 
very  consistent  with  the  supposition  of  its  being* 
well  replenished  with  rational  inhabitants,  capable  of 
knowing,  glorifying  and  enjoying  the  great  God  of 
the  universe.  Instead  therefore  of  sixteen,  there 
may  be  sixty  worlds  included  in  this  Solar  System. 

Some  will  say,  who  knov^rs  of  inhabitants  in  any  of 
these  planetary  worlds  ?  I  also  will  ask,  who  has  any 
reason  to  doubt  of  it  ?  Was  not  God  as  able  to  create  a 
race  of  rational  beings  in  them,  as  he  was  to  form  man 
©n  the  earth  ?  The  only  reason  why  any  can  doubt  of 
there  being  inliabitants  in  the  planets,  is  because  they 
cannot  conceive  how  God  should  be  sufficiently  great, 
good  and  powerful  as  to  make  so  many  worlds,  fill 
them  with  inhabitants,  and  exercise  a  constant  kind 
providence  over  them.  The  only  objections  we* can 
bring  ag- .dnst  it,  arise  from  our  too  low  and  mean  con- 
*»eptions  of  the  incomprehensible  Jehovah  I  Tis  true, 
we  read,  these  lights  were  set  in  the  firmament  for 
pigns,  and  for  seasons,  and  for  days,  and  for  years.. 
T/iat  2s,  these,  are  the  purposes  for  which  they  were 
to  serve  this  earth.  But  does  it  therefore  follov/  that 
these  are  tiie  only  purposes  for  which  their  maker  de- 
signed them  ?  Why  should  they  not  be  replenished 
with  aniin:d  and  rational  life,  as  well  as  this  earth, 
when  muiiy  of  them  are  much  greater,  and  as  well 
formed  for  such  a  purpcEc  r  Nor  is  conjecture  all  that 
may  be  pleaded  in  tiiis  case.  For  the  apostle  express- 
]y  tells  us  that  all  tlungs  visible  ar.d  invisible  were 


PREFACE 


Xi 


made  by  Christ,  and  for  him.  But  in  what  sense  can 
xhe  planets,  which  are  certainly  included  in  things 
visible,  be  said  to  be  made  for  Christ,  especially  con- 
sidered in  his  mediatorial  character,  which  is  the 
point  the  apostle  is  there  discoursing  upon,  unless 
there  are  dwelling  in  them,  some  rational  inhabitants, 
between  whom  and  God,  Christ  performs  the  office 
of  a  mediator  ?  Many  other  texts  also  might  be  al- 
hedged  to  the  same  purpose,  which  carry  in  them  a 
strong  implication,  that  the  planetary  worlds  are  stor- 
ed with  rational  inhabitants,  all  gathered  together  in- 
to one,  in  Christ,  and  united  to  God  through  him. 
Contemplations  on  these  things  tend  greatly  to  en- 
large our  conceptions,  and  exalt  our  thoughts  of  th© 
great  God,  and  of  his  son  Jesus  Christ,  the  universal 
mediator. 

It  will  serve  the  same  valuable  end  to  turn  our  at- 
tention to  the  stars,  whose  number  is  a  countless  mul- 
titude. Such  as  are  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  are  in- 
deed a  great  multitude  ;  and  yet,  these  are  compara- 
tively few  to  the  number  which  become  visible  by  the 
assistance  of  glasses.  Now  these  stars  being  consid- 
ered as  so  many  suns  in  the  centre  of  as  many  systems 
of  planetary  worlds,  each  of  them  as  numerous  as 
our  solar  system  ;  it  will  cause  the  number  of  worlds 
that  God  hath  made,  to  increase  beyond  the  stretches 
of  the  most  lively  imagination.  How  amazingly  ex- 
tensive are  the  dominions  of  God,  the  inexhaustible 
fountain  of  existence,  who  counteth  the  number  of 
the  stars,  and  calleth  them  all  by  their  names  I    This 


:j:ii  PREFACE. 

should  leach  us  to  veil  our  faces  before  him,  ani 
adore  the  infinitely  incomprehensible  author  of  nature^ 
and  fountain  of  life. 

It  is  truly  surprising  to  see  the  boldness  of  sdmc 
conceited  mortals  in  their  arraignment  ot  God,  in  his 
•works,  in  his  laws,  and  in  the  discoveries  which  he 
hath  made  of  himself  to  us,  in  his  word  j  particularly, 
in  denying,  and  even  bantering  the  mysteries  of  the 
Trinity,  and  the  incarnation.  Must  these  things  be 
denied  because  we  cannot  comprehend  them  ?  The 
smallest  parts  of  God's  works  contain  mysteries  that 
we  cannot  understand.  Where  is  the  philosopher 
that  can  explain  so  small  a  matter  as  muscular  mo- 
tion, a  power  daily  exerted  by  the  most  contemptible 
insect  ?  How  then  shall  we  be  able  to  comprehend 
the- nature  and  manner  of  the  existence  of  him  who 
has  displayed  but  part  of  his  perfections  in  the  forma- 
tion, preservation,  and  government  of  such  a  countless 
multitude  of  worlds  ? 

When  we  turn  our  thoughts  upon  the  incompre- 
.liensibleness  of  the  Almighty  Creator,  it  should  teach 
us  to  think  and  speak  Avith  modesty,  concerning  his 
moral  government,  in  suffering  sin  to  take  place  ^' 
mong  his  creatures.  The  introduction  of  moral  evil 
is  confessedly  attended  with  some  difficulty.  But 
let  it  be  considered  that  a  state  of  probation  must  ne- 
cessarily be  such  in  the  nature  of  it,  as  to  admit  of  a 
possibility  of  sinning.  For  unless  the  state  of  trial 
be  such  that  it  is  possible  for  sin  to  take  place,  there 
^n  be  really  no  trial  of  the  obedience  of  the  creature. 


PREFACE.  xiii 

if  then,  a  possibility  of  sinning  is  essential  to  a  state 
of  trial,  where  is  the  ground  of  admiration,  when  wc 
find  sin  has  in  fact,  took  place  among  God*s  crea- 
tures ?  If  the  state  of  trial  in  which  the  creature  is 
placed,  is  such,  that  humanly  speaking,  there  is  a 
greater  probability  of  sinning,  than  of  standing,  it  will 
confessedly  bear  hard  upon  the  wisdom  and  goodness 
of  God.  But  when  the  prospect  of  standing  is  equal 
to  that  of  falling,  it  cannot  be  denied  to  be  a  fair  trial. 
And  if  the  prospect  cf  standing,  is  much  greater  than 
that  of  falling,  as  was  the  case  with  our  first  parents 
in  their  trial  under  the  first  covenant,  we  have  rea- 
son to  acknowledge  divine  wisdom  and  goodness  ap- 
pearing in  the  constitution,  altho'  the  event  was  that 
man  fell. 

In  opposition  to  this,  some  may  alledge  an  argu- 
ment from  facts.  Angels  did  fall,  and  the  human 
race  have  fallen  ;  which  are  all  the  creatures  we  know 
of  ;  therefore  we  have  reason  to  conclude  from  these 
facts,  that  the  state  of  trid  under  which  both  were  pla- 
ced was  such  as  to  render  their  falling  the  most  pro] 
bable  event. 

To  ti.is  I  ansv/er,  we  are  not  at  present,  under  a  ca- 
pacity to  form  a  juchj,ment  from  facts.  'Tis  true, 
the  first  human  pair  did  fall,  and  some  angels  have 
fallen  :  But  when  v.  c  lift  up  our  eyes  to  the  starry 
heavens,  thousands  of  millions  of  worlds  present 
themselves  to  our  contemplrtlion,  douVtless  well  re- 
plenished with  rational  inhabitants,  in  none  of  which, 
fcv  what  yet  appears,  bus  sin  taken  place,     Amonfc  a]! 


xiv  PREFACE. 

these,  out*  world,  as  far  as  we  at  present  know,  is  the 
oiiiy  one  in  wliich  sin  has  entered  And  if  u  possi- 
bility of  sinniiig  is  essential  to  a  state  of  trial,  why 
should  it  be  thous^-ht  strange  that  one  world  iunorg  so 
many  ndiiions,  should  be  tuinted  with  it  ? 

Another  objection  that  some  miy  have  against  the 
following  discourse,  is,  that  it  tends  to  weaken  the  ev- 
idence of  the  divinity  of  oui  Savior,  as  it  leads  us  to 
apply  mt.iiy  of  those  texts  to  his  mediation,  which 
Tririitarian  writers  have  improved  for  the  evidence  of 
his  divinity  ;  and  thus  tends  to  undernnine  that  gospel, 
mystery.  And  I  readily  grant,  the  following  tiea- 
tjse  will  naturally  lead  us  to  explain  many  texts,  as 
speaking  of  the  mediatorial  character  and  influence  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  have  been  by  some,  un- 
derstood as  a  proof  of  his  God-head.  But  instead  of 
weakening,  this  discourse  tends  to  confirm  the  truth 
of  these  revealed  mysteries  of  the  Trinity,  and  the  in- 
carnation ;  for  they  evidently  lie  at  the  foundation  of 
the  brief  system  here  advanced,  and  are  the  chief  cor- 
ner stone  on  which  it  rests.  Gospel  truths  have  ma- 
ny times  suffered  by  tlie  injudicious  conduct  of  their 
friends,  in  their  improving  many  texts  in  proof  of 
them,  which  altho'  the  expressions  detached  from 
their  connexion  seem  to  f..vor  them,  yet  when  duly 
exc^mined,  will  appear  to  have  another  meaning.  And 
•when  it  is  found,  that  many  of  tlose  texts  which  are 
brought  in  proof  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  upon  a 
fair  examination  contain  a  different  meaning  ;  they 
will  be  ready  to  conciude  that  all  other  texts   brought 


PREFACE.  xy 

in  support  of  that  truth,  do  likewise  really  mean  some- 
thing else,  provided  we  could  hit  upon  their  true  in- 
terpretation. But  if  no  texts  were  brought  in  proof 
of  the  doctrine,  but  such  as  plainly  speak,  to  the  pfjii.t^ 
and  can  fairly  admit  of  no  other  interpretation,  many 
of  the  triumphs  of  the  adversaries  would  have  been 
prevented.  The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and  of  the 
divinity  of  our  Savior,  are  points  plentiiully  attested 
by  texts  which  can  have  no  other  construction  put  up- 
on them.  I  will  mention  one,  John  i.  3,  "  All  things 
were  made  by  him.'*  If  any  should  say,  that  God 
created  the  Logon  with  such  noble  powers,  that  he 
T^aa  able  to  make  the  world,  which  is  the  common 
Socinian  evasion  ;  I  will  afBrm  such  men  use  words 
without  ideas,  it  is  by  the  works  of  creation  we  know 
there  is  a  God.  As  says  the  apostle,  Rom.  i.  20,  "  For 
the  invisible  things  of  hira  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  are  clearly  seen,  being  understood  by  the 
things  that  are  made,  even  his  eternal  power  and  God- 
head." if  these  words  are  true,  the  truth  of  which  is 
established  both  by  the  light  of  reason  and  divine  rev- 
elation ;  and  if  the  Logos  did  create  the  world,  as  is 
expressly  said  ;  then  we  have,  in  the  works  of  crea- 
tion, the  convincing  evidence  of  his  eternal  pov/er 
and  God-head  ;  v.iiich  is  the  highest  evidence  we 
can  have  that  there  is  a  God.  If  therefore  God  cre- 
ated tho  Logos  with  such  noble  powers  that  he  was 
capable  to  make  the  world  ;  it  is  but  saying  in  other 
words,  i/iai  one  God  can  make  another^      Therefore.^ 


xVi  PREFACE. 

besides  the  absurdity  of  a  created  Gcd,  the  Deist^ 
the  Arian,  or  Socinian,  will  be  obliged  to  give  up  his 
creed,  by  his  own  argument  ;  and  to  embrace  that  of 
Polytheism,  or  Atheism,  between  which  there  is  not 
mueh  to  choose. 


'  -.^>' V^ 


VIEW  OF  DIVINITY,  <Scc. 


I.   CORINTH.  XV.  21,22. 

For  since  by  man  came  deaths  by  man  came  aho  the 
reaurrection  of  the  dead.  For  as  in  Mam  all  die, 
even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive. 

x\lTMOUGH  the  apostle  here  treats  of  the  doc- 
trine of  the  resui'rection-of  the  dead  with  a  special 
reference  to  the  s.iints,  yet  it  is  manifest  he  docs  not 
mean  to  confine  it  to  such  ;  for  all  both  good  and  bad, 
shall  be  raised  from  tiie  dead,  in  the  last  day.  "  All 
that  are  in  their  graves  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the 
Son  of  God,  and  shull  come  forth,  they  thai  have  done 
^ood,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life  ;  and  they  that 
have  done  evil,  unto  tiie  resurrectio'i  of  damnation.'* 
The  apostle  speaks  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead 
in  the  text,  in  sucii  general  terms  as  to  include  all 
mankind.  ^'  As  in  Adam,  all  die;  so  in  Christ 
shall  ALL  be  made  alive."  And  it  h  evident  that  tlie 
resurrection  of  the  wicked  is  the  fruit  of  Christ's 
purchase,  as  well  as  that  of  the  ri;^hteous  ;  for  all 
those  that  died  in  Adam,  are  made  alive  in  Christ. 
"  For  since  by  man  came  death  by  man  came  also 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead."  The  ruin  of  mankind 
by  Adam,  and  their  recovery  by  Jesus  Christ,  arc  ve- 
ry interesting  subjects  here  set  before  Ub  ;  each  of 
which  I  purpose  to  consider, 
2  * 


18 

The  ruin  of  mankind  by  the  fall  of  Adam,  first  de- 
mands our  attention. 

The  ruin  brought  upon  us  by  the  apostacy  of  our 
first  parents,  is  a  matter  which  should  be  carefully 
looked  into,  that  we  may  entertain  just  thoughts  of 
that  divine  constitution  under  which  we  have  fallen 
into  an  estate  of  sin  and  misery,  and  may  truly  know 
what  our  fallen  state  is  We  are  prone  to  entertain 
very  dishonorable  thoughts  of  God,  on  account  of 
those  covenant  transactions  with  our  first  parents 
vhcreby  we  are  involved  in  a  state  of  sin  and  misery 
through  their  apostacy.  But  if  we  carefully  look 
into  that  matter,  and  view  it  in  the  light  in  which  it 
is  set  before  us  in  the  word  of  God  ;  we  shall  see 
reason  to  acknowledge  that  the  dispensation  under 
which  God  at  first  placed  man,  was  not  only  just,  but 
very  wise  and  gracious  ;  although  Adam  by  his  mis- 
conduct under  it,  brought  ruin  upon  himself  and  his 
posterity.  And  for  a  distinct  view  of  these  things,  I 
shall  consider, 

I.  The  state  in  which  man  was  at  first  created. 

II.  The  covenant  transactions  of  God  with  man  in 
his  first  estate. 

III.  The  fall  of  Adam,  and  the  state  into  which  he 
thereby  brought  himself  and  his  posterity. 

I.  I  shall  inquire  into  the  state  in  which  man  was 
at  first  created. 

In  the  begin:  ing,  God  created  man  in  his  own  im- 
age, and  after  his  likencos.  Man  was  made  a  little 
lower  than  the  angels  :  yet  he  was  made  perfect  hi  his 
kind.  His  natural  faculties  were  wisely  suited  to  the 
state  which  his  Maker  designed  him  for,  and  every 
way  fit  for  the  performance  of  the  duty  which  God 
required  of  him.  And  full  provision  was  made  for 
his  being  completely  blessed  in  the  favor  of  God,  and 
in  the  enjoyment  of  him 

The  perfection  of  man  in  his  first  state,  consisted 
in  his  being  made  in  the  image  and  after  the  likeness 
of  God.  And  it  will  greatly  help  us  in  the  knowledge 


19 

of  the  true  cliaracter  ofnian,  to  get  a  clear  and  dis- 
tinct view  of  this  divine  imaire,  or  wherein  it  consist- 
ed ;  because  that  is  a  leading  point,  and  will  greatly 
assist  us  in  our  after  inquiry,  as  will  appear  in  the  se- 
quel. But  our  present  subject  makes  it  necessary  to 
consider  this  divine  image,  more  especially  as  it  is  of 
amoral  kind;  of  which  I  would  give  this  general 
description. 

The  moral  image  of  God  in  which  man  ivas  atjirat 
created^  is  the  imjiression  of  such  a  iiksness  to  Gody 
•that  man  might  be  said  to  be  corforniable  to  him  in  all 
moral  res/: cats. 

This  image  and  likeness  of  God  on  the  soul,  has  a 
respect  both  to  the  communicable,  and  to  the  incom-^ 
municable  perfections  of  God.  We  cannot  form  just 
conceptions  of  this  divine  image,  unless  we  take  into 
our  idea  of  it  a  correspondency,  or  agreement  of  soul 
■with  such  incommunicable  perfections  of  the  divine 
nature,  of  which  there  can  be  found  no  proper  like- 
ness, or  real  resemblance  in  the  cieature.  What  I 
here  mean,  is  an  answerableness  of  the  frame  of  our 
heart  towards  God,  as  a  being  of  inftnile  perfections, 
the  original,  independent,  and  all-sufficient  fountain  of 
being  and  blessedness. 

I  shall  be  here  liable  to  be  charged  with  an  impro- 
priety, for  speaking  of  a  likeness^  ■where  there  is  not 
nor  can  be  any  real  resemblcmce.  But  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  image  or  likenei:s  is  often  spoken  of  in 
such  an  extensive  sense,  as  to  include  any  thing 
whereby  the  properties  of  a  being  arc  represented, 
expressed,  or  shadowed  forth.  And  if  the  propei'- 
ties  of  an  infinite  being  are  expressed  or  represented 
by  a  finite,  limited  creature,  it  is  evident  that  it  must 
be  by.  way  of  correspondency  or  agreensent.  The 
moral  image  of  God  therefore  on  the  soul  of  man, 
cannot  be  called  complete,  unless  wc  take  into  our 
idea  of  it,  a  correspondency,  or  agreement  of  the 
frame  of  our  heart  with  those  infinite  perfections  of 
the  divine  nature,  of  which  there  can  be  no  proper 
likeness,  or  direct  resemblance  s  as  well  as  a  con- 


20 

fornuty  to  him  in  liis  moral  attributes,  or  imituble 
and  communicable  perfections.  Anci  this  answera- 
blcness  of  soul  to  these  incommunicable  pei-fections 
of  the  divine  nature,  is  an  essential  part  or  property 
of  the  ima^e  of  God,  in  which  man  was  at  firsi  crea- 
ted. I  will  illustrate  my  meaning  in  a  few  paiiicu- 
iars. 

1.  Our  likeness  to  God  in  this  respect,  includes 
an  entire  drfiencience  on  him^  answerini^  to  his  being 
the  fountain  of  life  and  blessedness.  Ail  the  several 
parts  of  the  creation  are  dependent  upon  the  same 
power  to  preserve  and  uphold  them  in  being, 
which  first  gave  them  their  existence.  But  the  de- 
pendence which  I  here  me.m,  is  not  a  natural  and 
necessdry  dependence  ;  but  it  is  a  dependence  of  a 
moral  kind,  in  wjiich  the  soul  is  active  and  voluntary. 
It  is  a  dependent  frame  of  heart,  in  which  the  soul 
feels  and  acknowle'iges  its  dependence  on  God  for 
being  and  for  blessedness,  in  the  way  of  hope  and 
twist.  This  temper  of  mind  was  lost  by  the  fall.  A 
sinner  under  a  consciousness  of  guilt,  feels  afraid  to 
trust  himself  in  tlie  hand  of  God.  lie  would  choose 
to  have  the  power  of  securing  his  own  well-being  in 
his  own  hands  ;  but  is  fearful  of  trusting  God  in  this 
case.  He  has  such  jealousy  of  God  upon  his 
mind,  that  he  fears  God  will  not  do  so  well  for  him, 
as  ne  could  do  for  himself.  But  when  the  divine 
image  is  again  restored  to  to  the  soul  by  redeeming 
grace,  this  dependence  on  God  is  riot  only  seen,  but 
chosen  and  delighted  in.  Under  a  believing  view  of 
the  divine  perfections,  the  soul  yields  itself  up  into 
the  hand  of  God,  with  full  trust  and  confidence  in  him 
as  an  all-sufficient  God.  The  soul  chooseth  to 
rely  on  God,  and  him  alone.  In  tb.is  dependent 
frame  of  spirit,  there  is  a  corresponding  agreement 
and  answerabienessof  soul  to  the  independent  all-suf- 
ficiency of  God  ;  aiul  it  is  one  essential  property  of 
that  origin  d  conformity  to  him,  in  wluch  the  divine 
image  on  man  did  consist. 


21 

2.  This  original  conformity  to  God  includes  full 
complacency,  delight  and  vesting  of  r^oul  in  him,  as 
an  all-satisfying  portion  corresponding  with  his  in- 
finite glory  and  amiableness.  The  infinite  perfec- 
tions of  God  render  him  a  being  worthy  of  supreme 
love  and  delight.  And  this  delight,  complacency 
and  resting  of  soul  in  God,  is  that  felicity  which  was 
originally  intended  for  the  human  mind,  which  would 
render  it  completely  blessed.  Thus  to  delight  in 
God,  is,  in  its  ov,n  nature,  an  appropriating  act  ; 
tliereiwthe  soul  interests  itself  in  God,  as  its  God  ;  a 
God  in  whom  it  is  interested,  and  to  whom  it  has  ac- 
cess. This  is  what  is  principally  meant  by  the  en- 
joyment of  God.  Where  there  is  no  interest,  there 
can  be  no  delight.  Psalm  xxxvii.  4,  "  Delight  thy- 
self in  the  Lord,  and  he  shall  giro  thee  the  desires  of 
thine  heart  "  Indeed,  in  some  of  those  exercises  of 
soul  which  are  included  in  the  general  notion  of  love, 
there  is  no  special  interest  implied.  Thus,  we  may 
think  honorably  of,  and  highly  esteem  a  person,  as  be- 
ing truly  excellent,  in  whom  we  can  have  no  interest. 
The  devil  may  fitly  think  of  God  as  a  being  in  him- 
self truly  glorious  and  infinitely  excellent,  although 
he  is  forever  shut  out  from  all  interest  in  him.  But 
such  exercises  of  love  as  are  styled  complacency  and 
delight,  in  their  own  nature,  imply  an  interest  in  him, 
and  access  to  him.  This  delight  in  God  is  a  temper 
of  mind  corresponding  with  the  infinite  glory  and 
amiableness  of  the  divine  perfections  ;  and  is  a  very 
material  or  principal  property  of  that  image  of  or 
conformity  to  God,  in  wliich  man  was  at  first  crea- 
ted. 

3.  Intire  subjection  to  the  will  of  God,  answering 
to  his  absolute  authority,  is  also  necessary,  that  we 
may  bear  his  image,  or  be  conformable  to  him. 
God's  right  to  govern  his  creatures  is  very  plain  and 
indisputable.  And  that  there  may  be  a  correspond- 
ing agreement  with  this  divine  prerogative,  it  is 
necessary  there  should  be  in  us,  a  complete  and 
iinrc?crvcd  submission  of  soul  to  Iiis  will  ;    a  read- 


22 

iness  of  mind  to  give  ourselves  up  to  his  will  in  all 

thin^-s. 

I'hese  particulars  may  suffice  to  illustrate  my 
meaning,  or  shew  what  that  conformity  to  God  is, 
with  respect  to  his  incommunicable  perfections, 
which  is  necessary  to  constitute  tht;  divine  likeness 
on  the  human  soul.  This  dependence  on  God,  this 
complacency  in  him,  and  this  subjection  to  him  are 
essential  properties  of  it.  For  although  there  cannot 
he  in  a  creature,  any  direct  and  proper  likeness  to 
those  infinite  excellencies  and  perfections  of  God,  to 
v/hich  these  exercises  of  soul  refer ;  yet  the  impres- 
sion of  the  im-ige  of  God  on  the  soul,  necessarily  im- 
plies such  a  moral  agreement  with  and  conformity  to 
him,  in  these  respects. 

And  as  the  image  of  God  in  which  man  was  crea- 
ted, did  include  such  conformity  to  him  with  respect 
to  his  incommunicable  perfections  ;  so  it  also  in- 
cluded a  likeness  of  God  with  respect  to  his  moral  at- 
tributes, or  imitable  perfections.  The  moral  attri- 
butes of  G®d  are  his  holiness,  justice,  goodness.  Sec. 
And  with  respect  to  these,  our  nature  is  capable  of 
bearing  his  proper  image,  or  more  direct  likeness. 
And  when  God  made  man  in  his  own  image,  and  af- 
ter his  likeness,  there  was  the  resemblance  of  his 
Maker  in  all  moral  respects  to  be  seen  in  him.  Man 
was  made  capable  of  the  service  of  God;  not  only 
wilh  respect  to  his  natural  faculties  ;  but  this  his  na- 
ture was  made  with  an  aptness,  promptitude  or  read- 
iness for  all  holy  and  upright  exercises,  in  perfect 
correspondency  with  God  ;  Avith  no  jarring  tenden- 
cies, contrary  inclinations,  or  even  reluctance  with 
respect  to  his  acting  in  complete  conformity  to  the 
divine  perfections.  Herein  consists  the  moral  im- 
age of  God  in  which  man  was  created. 

These  observations  may  sufiice  to  give  us  a  brief 
and  general  viev/  of  that  moral  image  of  God  in 
which  man  was  at  first  formed.  And  by  attending  to 
this  likeness  cfGod,  we  may  learn  the  general  na- 
ture of  that  .service  or  duty  which  God  required  of 


^3 

him.  For  the  image  of  God  on  the  soul  is  the  same 
as  the  h\w  wiitven  on  the  heart.  It  is  the  same  thing 
set  forth  by  dii^erent  expressions  ;  or  the  same  ob* 
ject  viewed  in  different  points  of  light.  And  there- 
fore by  uttending  to  the  image  and  likeness  of  God 
in  which  man  was  at  first  created,  w^e  may  clearly 
gather  this  general  description  of  the  moral  law,  or 
the  bonds  of  duty  which  man  was  under  to  his  Maker 
by  the  law  of  his  creation  :  viz. 

The  duty  required  of  man  consisted  in  inainCaining^ 
exf-rcising  and  exfi^^essing  this  divine  image  or  like- 
ness of  God^  in  the  several  uaions,  and  on  the  various 
occasions  of  life. 

In  this  view  of  the  case  we  most  readily  obtain 
clear  and  distinct  ideas  of  those  natural  obligations  to 
our  Creator,  which,  with  propriety  have  been  com- 
monly styled  the  moral  law.  And  by  attending  to 
this  view  of  it,  we  may  see  the  natural  consequences 
of  sin.  Man  by  sin  forfeited  his  whole  interest  in 
God.  The  natural  penalty  of  this  law  excludes  sinning 
man  from  all  access  to  God,  and  restrains  and  shuts 
him  out  from  all  dependence,  hope,  trust  and  enjoy- 
ment of  God  ;  and  shuts  him  up  under  wrath.  Hence 
ariseth  moral  depravity  and  total  inability,  as  I  shall 
shew  in  the  sequel. 

The  duty  of  maa  in  his  primitive  state  consisted  in 
exercising  this  dependence  on  God,  this  complacen- 
cy in  him,  and  subjection  to  him,  with  purity  and  up- 
rightness, truth  and  faithfulness.  Herein  he  would 
exercise,  preserve  and  express  that  likeness  of  his 
Maker  which  was  his  original  excellency  and  per- 
fection. By  this  God  would  have  received  that  hon- 
or and  glory  from  man  which  w-^.s  required  ;  and 
man's  interest  in  the  love  and  favor  of  God  would 
have  been  preserved 

There  was  then  no  separate  interest  between  God 
and  man.  God's  interest  is  the  display  of  the  glory 
of  his  great  name  ;  and  it  v»as  the  interest  of  man  to 
exhibit  a  display  of  the  glory  of  his  Creator.  This  was 
his  interest,,  his  happincs:>,  and  his  duty.     Herein  he 


24 

did  both  glorify  end  enjoy  God.  In  this  state  there- 
fore, nian  could  not  act  inconsistent  with  the  glory  of 
God,  -vrithout  acting  at  the  same  time  inconsistent 
with  his  own  happiness.  There  was  a  perfect  union 
with  God,  in  the  motives  and  springs  of  action  which 
belonged  to  his  nature.  His  love  of  God,  and  re- 
gard for  the  divine  honor  and  glory,  and  his  love  and 
regard  for  his  own  well-being,  all  influenced  the  same 
way,  and  tended  to  the  sume  thing,  in  this  union 
with  God  consisted  the  life  of  his  soul,  or  what  we 
call  spiritual  life.  As  the  natural  life  of  man  con- 
sists in  the  firm  and  healthful  union  of  soul  and  body, 
so  spiritual  life  consists  in  this  full  and  perfect  moral 
union  with  God.  and  as  natural  death  consists  in 
breaking  up  the  union  between  soul  and  body  ;  so 
spiritual  death  consists  in  breaking  up  tliis  spiritual 
union  between  God  and  the  soul-  And  that  moral 
depravity,  and  corruption  of  nature  which  is  in  fallen 
man,  consequent  upon  his  breach  of  union  with  God, 
may,  not  improperiy,  though  fi<juralively,  be  styled 
The  jiutrt faction  of  the  i,ouL  The  soul  of  man  in  his 
first  state  was  in  perfect  health  and  vigor,  no  ways 
diseased,  tainted,  or  viiiuted  ;  but  was  every  way  fit 
and  in  readiness  for  perfect  obedience  to  the  divine 
will ;  for  full  commuinon  with  God,  and  complete 
blessedness  in  the  enjoyment  of  him.  But  yet,  this 
life  of  the  soul  was  not  so  essential  to  the  nature  of 
man  but  that  it  might  be  lost ;  and  yet,  his  natural 
faculties  still  remain  ;  as  is  evident  from  sad  and 
d.iily  expeiience.  The  commission  of  sin  in  any  one 
instance  would  be  desti•ucti^c  to  the  soul  ;  because 
guilt  would  break  up  this  union  with  God  ;  it  would 
diNide  the  soul  from  God,  and  cast  it  out  of  his  favor, 
and  bring  it  under  his  wrath.  For  all  those  consiticr- 
atic^i'S  which  show^  it  to  be  the  duty  of  man  to  yield 
obedience  to  the  w  ill  of  God,  do  equally  show^,  that 
sin  forfeits  God's  favor,  and  deserves  to  be  punished 
with  the  exccutiouo  of  his  wrath.  This  spiritual  life 
rherefore  was  wliat  man  enjoyed  in  his  primitive 
^tate,  in  dependence  on  God  j  he  was  dependent  or. 


25 

him  for  the  preservation  and  continuance  of  it :  it 
was  to  be  preserved  by  maintaining  communion  with 
God,  in  ways  of  obedience  to  iiis  will.  It  was  by 
maintaining  communion  with  God,  and  enjoying  the 
bright  and  near  manifestations  of  the  divine  glory  to 
the  soul,  that  this  spiritual  life  was  to  be  preserved 
in  its  vigor  and  activity.  We  find  by  common  expe- 
rience, tiiat  the  activity  and  vigor  of  our  heart  to- 
wards any  object  whatever,  very  much  depends  upon 
the  presence  of  the  object  with  the  mind.  When  an 
object,  is  present  to  immediately  affect  our  senses,  its 
influence  on  the  heart  will  be  greater  than  when  it  is 
present  only  by  remembrance  and  reflection.  And 
in  this  respect,  human  nature  was  very  much  the 
same  in  its  original  state,  as  it  is  now.  And  this 
•shows,  how  necessary  it  was  for  man  in  his  state  of 
perfection,  to  maintain  nearness  to  God,  that  he 
Diight  preserve  his  love,  delight  and  complacency  iu 
God,  and  the  vigor  and  activity  of  soul  in  his  service. 
If  we  now  have  a  strong  regard  in  our  hcartj  and 
clo^e  union  of  affections  to  any  particular  object ;  yet 
by  long  absence  from  it,  and  untiioughtfulness  about 
it,  cur  attachment  to  it  will  huiguish  and  decay.  And 
in  like  nranner,  the  vip^-or  of  soul,  and  union  of  heart 
with  God,  vrhich  v.ere  in  man  in  his  original  state  of 
perfection,  were  to  be  preserved  by  constant  commun- 
ion Vv'ith  God  ;  otherwise  they  must  have  languislicd 
and  decayed,  as  is  evident  from  the  limited,  depend- 
ent frame  of  our  nature. 

Attention  to  these  things  makes  it  manifest,  that 
although  man  held  his  original  slate  of  perfection  in 
dependence  on  God  ;  yet  there  v/as  something  for  him 
to  du  for  the  preservation  of  it.  It  was  necessary  for 
him  to  improve  his  interest  in  God,  to  keep  near  to 
him,  and  maintdn  communion  with  him  ;  that  by 
abiding  in  the  sun-shine  of  the  divine  glory,  the  rec- 
titude, life  and  vigor  of  his  soul  might  be  preserved. 
For  as  man  was  made  capable  of  voluntary  acwm^  it 
is  evident  that  he  might  so  behave  as  to  withdraw 
froni  God,  turn  off  his  attention  from  the  divine  glo.-' 
3 


26 

ry,  fix  his  view  upon  some  creature  ;  and  in  that  way, 
full  under  the  influence  of  the  creaiuic  insteud  of 
God.     Or  in  other  words,  he  was  cafmbLc  of  sinning. 

And  as  the  human  nature  is  thus  capable  of  de- 
fection, so  it  was  equally  capable  of  receiving  such  a 
conflrmed  state  ot  rectitude,  as  never  to  be  liable  to, 
or  in  danger  of  falling  from  it.  For  so  long  as  man 
continued  under  the  full  sun-shine  ol  the  divine  glory, 
it  is  not  supposable  that  his  heart  should  fall  under  the 
influence  of  any  creature's  vanity,  or  sinful  enjoy- 
ment. Therefore  by  being  put  into  such  a  state,  in 
which  he  should  be  constantly  incircled  with  the 
bright  and  full  display  of  the  divine  glory,  it  would  be 
an  eiiectuai  security  of  his  preservation,  and  an  un- 
failing source  of  his  blessedness.  Hence  that  confirm- 
ed state  in  glory  which  is  now  hoped  for  by  the  belie- 
Ter,  is  represented  by  our  Lord,  under  such  figurative 
expressions  as  intimate  this  special  preserving  and  en- 
livening influence  of  the  divine  presence  with  them. 
Rev.  iii.  12,  '' Him  that  overcometh,  will  1  make  a 
pillar  in  the  tem.ple  of  my  God,  and  he  shall  go  no 
more  out."  And  to  the  same  purpose,  the  glory  of 
the  New-Jerusalem  is  thus  described,  Rev.  xxi.  23, 
<'  And  the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the 
jnoon  to  shhie  in  it :  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten 
it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof."  It  is  by  liv- 
ing in  the  full  streams  of  the  divine  glory,  from 
which  "  They  shall  go  no  more  out,**  that  will  secure 
them  in  the  future  state,  from  being  ever  liable  to 
fall  from  it.  The  confirmed  state  in  eternal  life  and 
blessedness,  which  is  the  promised  portion  of  belie- 
vers, consists  not  in  any  thing  that  is  inherent  in  their 
nature,  or  that  is  put  into  them  by  divine  grace  :  but 
they  will  hold  their  everlasting  blessedness,  in  con- 
stant dependence  on  God.  God  himself  undertakes 
for  them.  He  is  their  security  ;  and  has  promised 
"To  be  with  them,  and  to  be  their  God."  It  will 
be  the  full  enjoyment  of  God  in  that  world  of  glory, 
which  will  be  the  constant  preservation  and  support 
of  their  life,  and  unfailing  sbvjree  of  their  blessed- 


27 

ness.  And  as  such  is  the  nature  of  that  confirmation 
in  glory  which  the  believer  shall  receive  in  the  fu- 
ture state  ;  so  this  confirmation  is  what  the  human 
nature  was  at  first  made  capable  of.  But  this  is  a 
privilege  which  is  not  necessarily  connected  with 
that  state  of  perfection  in  which  man  was  at  first  cre- 
ated. God  made  man  capable  of  preserving  his  bles- 
sed state,  by  acting  uprightly :  but  to  undertake  for 
him,  to  secure  him  from  a  liableness  to  depart  from 
God,  by  the  effectual  manifestations  and  communica- 
tions of  himself  to  man,  is  what  God  was  not  obliged 
to  do.  Such  protection  is  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  spe- 
cial favor,  flowing  from  free  and  sovereign  grace,  in 
whatever  manner,  or  upon  what  conditions  soever  it 
is  granted  to  a  creature. 

Man  being  made  such  a  noble  creature,  in  the  im- 
age and  after  the  likeness  of  God,  with  sufficient  abil- 
ities and  advantages  to  preserve  this  perfection  of  his 
nature  by  an  upright  and  faithful  conduct ;  and  capa- 
ble either  of  a  defection  from  it  by  the  commission 
of  sin  ;  or  of  being  confirmed  in  it  by  the  grant  of 
special  favor  from  God  ;  therefore  he  was  a  creature 
capable  of,  and  suitable  to  be  put  into  a  state  of  trial, 
that  he  might  act  as  a  probationer  for  life  or  death  : 
to  be  cast  out  of  the  favor  of  God  if  he  sinned,  and 
receive  the  punishment  due  to  his  offence  :  or  to  be 
confirmed  in  a  state  of  peace  and  favor  v/ith  God,  as 
the  reward  of  his  obedience,  if  he  proved  faithful  un- 
der a  proper  trial.  But  then  it  is  manifest,  this 
whole  matter  respecting  man*s  trial,  is  what  wholly 
depended  upon  the  sovereign  pleasure  of  God  ;  what 
his  state  of  trial  should  be — how  long  it  should  con- 
tinue— and  v.'hat  should  be  the  reward. 

God  mig'at  have  retained  man  as  a  probationer  for 
his  favor,  in  the  state  in  which  he  was  created.  Iii 
which  case,  all  that  the  luv/  of  nature,  that  is,  the 
moral  lawi  would  have  given  him  reason  to  expect  at 
the  hand  of  God,  was  no  more  than  a  continuance  in 
well-being  so  long  as  he  remained  faithful.  He  could 
have  had  no  elaim  to  any  reward  for  his  obedience  ; 


28 

but  would  have  been  liable  to  sin,  -syhcreby  lie  wotilci 
licive  deserved  death.  He  could  never  have  deserved 
u  confirmed  stare  in  life  and  blessedness  by  obedience 
to  the  moral  Uav  ;  for  perfect  obedience  was  no  more 
than  God's  due  from  him;  by  yielding  of  which,  he 
conld  never  make  God  his  debtor.  For  if  he  had  pre- 
served his  integrity  for  thousands  of  years,  he  must 
siill  have  confessed,  that  he  had  done  no  more  than 
was  his  duty  to  do.  And  after  all,  he  vrould  still  re- 
main liable  to  fall  into  sin  ;  and  thus  lose  his  hi.ppy 
state. 

Or  if  God  had  been  pleased,  in  the  sovereign  ricli- 
cs  of  his  grace,  to  set  a  limited  time  for  the  trial  of 
man's  obedience  ;  and  had  given  liim  a  promise,  thdit 
if  he  coj^tiniied  faithful  till  the  time  appointed,  he 
should  be  confirmed  in  his  state  of  rectitude  and  bles- 
sedness, as  a  reward  of  his  fidelity  ;  yet  still  it  must 
depend  upon  sovereign  grace,  as  to  the  length  of 
time  the  trial  should  last — how  extensive  the  tried 
should  be,  as  to  the  various  branches  of  duty — and 
hcv/  great  should  be  the  reward  of  his  obedience  :— 
Whether  it  should  be  merely  a  confini:iation  in  his  pre- 
sent happy  state  ;  or  receive  any  additional  privileges 
and  blessings.  In  this  case  it  is  manifest,  that  God.,  by 
assigning  sucli  a  limited  time  for  the  trial  of  man'tf 
obeciience.  and  subjoining  the  inotivesof  promises  and 
threatenings,  would  have  so  far  changed  the  tenor 
and  form  of  his  government  over  man.  as  that  his  law 
would  put  on  the  form,  and  partake  of  the  nature  of  a 
covenant.  And  if  God  had  put  man  into  such  a  state 
of  trial,  under  such  a  covenant-dispensation  ;  he  might 
have  justly  extended  the  limits  of  the  trial  of  hiti  obe- 
dience to  the  whole  compass  and  matter  of  his  dut}', 
and  insisted  upon  having  the  perfection  of  his  obe- 
dience to  the  whole  law,  brought  to  a  trial  in  every 
branch  of  duly,  as  the  condition  of  the  promised  re- 
ward. And  he  might  have  confirmed  and  enforced 
this  covenant  ^\ith  this  strict  threatening  :  "  Cursed 
is  every  one  that  continueih  not  in  ail  things  which 
are  written  in  the  book  of  the  huv,  to  do  thenu'* 


29 

Such  a  state  of  trial  ns  this,  would  have  justly  been 
csteen^ed  a  great  favor,  granted  hy  God  to  his  crea- 
ture man.  For  hereby  no  obedience  would  have 
been  laid  upon  him,  more  than  w.ss  his  duty  before  ; 
he  would  be  no  more  liable  to  fall  into  sin,  than  lie 
would  have  been,  if  no  such  covenant  had  been  made 
with  him  :  But  hereby  advantages  would  have  been 
put  into  his  hands  of  obtaining  a  confirmation  in  his 
happy  state,  which  is  a  privilege  he  could  not  have 
been  entitled  to  without  such  a  covenant. 

But  God*s  treatin.g  with  man  in  a  covenant  form, 
as  a  probationer  for  rewards  and  punishments,  is  a 
matter  which  wholly  depends  upon  his  sovereign 
pleasure  ;  therefore  we  must  be  determined  in  our 
sentiments  about  it,  by  the  light  of  his  word. 

II.  I  proceed  to  consider  the  covenant-dispensa- 
tion of  God  to  our  first  parents,  in  the  state  in  which 
they  were  created. 

Closes  has  told  us,  that  the  Lord  God  planted  a  gar- 
den in  Eden,  into  which  he  put  the  man  whom  he  had 
made,  to  dress  it,  and  to  keep  it.  In  this  garden,'*  The 
Lord  God  caused  to  grov>/  out  of  the  ground,  every  tree 
that  is  pleasant  to  the  sight,  and  good  for  food  :  the 
tree  of  life  also  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  and  the  tree 
of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  And  the  Lord  God 
commanded  the  man,  saying.  Of  every  tree  of  the 
garden  thou  mayest  freely  eat  :  but  of  the  tree  of 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it : 
for  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  shalt 
surely  die."  This  is  a  very  short  and  concise  ac- 
count of  this  first  covenant-dispensation  :  and  yet,  it 
is  the  fullest  and  most  particular  of  any  that  God  hath 
given  us  in  his  word.  Doubtless,  these  things  were 
more  fully  expressed  to  our  first  parents,  than  Moses 
has  here  recorded  them.  And  although  this  short 
account  is  not  full  enough  to  satisfy  our  curiosity  in 
several  inquiries  that  may  arise  in  our  minds  ;  yet,  i'  is 
sufficiently  fulli  to  give  us  all  that  knowledge  of  these 
things  which  our  present  circumstances  require. 
5* 


30 

We  may  liere  observe,  that  two  trees  are  parlicii- 
lai-ly  nientioned,  by  way  of  distinction  from  all  the 
rest  ;  the  tree,  oflife^  and  the  tree  of  knoivltdge  of  good 
and  evil ;  with  a  special  command,  more  especially 
respecting-  one  of  them.  As  to  the  tree  of  life,  we 
know  but  little  more  about  it,  than  v/hat  is  intimated 
to  us  by  the  name  by  which  it  is  called.  But  as  it  is 
here  m.entioned  in  connexion  with  the  tree  of  know- 
ledge of  good  and  evil,  it  is  sufficiently  plain,  that  as 
by  their  eating  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  knowledge, 
they  were  to  become  subject  to  death  :  so,  by  a  prop- 
er use  of  the  tree  of  life,  they  were  to  secure  their 
title  to  life  and  blessedness  ;  although  the  particular 
manner  in  which  our  first  parents  were  to  make  use 
of  that  tree  is  not  expressly  told  us.  This  seems 
plainly  implied  in  the  reason  assigned  for  driving 
them  out  of  the  garden,  "  Lest  he  put  forth  his  hand, 
and  take  also  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  eat,  and  live  for- 
ever." These  two  trees  seem  to  have  been  appoint- 
ed as  sacramental  tests,  in  this  covenant :  the  tree  of 
life,  as  a  sign  or  pledge  of  the  favor  of  God  ;  and  the 
tree  of  knowledge  prohibited  upon  pain  of  death.  As 
to  the  tree  of  life,  it  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  know 
juore  about  it ;  since  the  event  was,  that  our  first  pa- 
rents did  fall ;  and  that  way  of  life  is  now  forever 
done  v.ith  :  But  with  respect  to  the  tree  of  know- 
ledge of  good  and  evil,  by  eating  of  which,  our  first 
parents  broke  covenant  with  God  ;  and  involved 
themselves,  and  their  posterity,  in  a  state  of  sin  and 
misery  ;  it  concerns  us  carefully  to  attend  to  it. 
Several  things  relating  to  it  should  be  carefully  ob- 
served. 

1.  Death  ivas  exjiresdy  threatened  only  for  the  sin 
<if  eating  of  the  fruit  oj  the  tree  of  knoivledge  oj  good 
and  e-oil.  'I' here  was  no  express  declaration,  that 
they  should  be  liable  to  death  for  any  other  sin,  or  in 
any  other  way.  Indeed,  the  wages  of  sin  is  death,  by 
the  moral  law ;  and  every  other  sin  (had  they  been 
guilty  of  it)  would  have  deserved  death,  as  well  as 
this.     But  as  the  threatening  of  death  is  limited  to 


31 

this  sin  in  particular  ;  it  shows  the  limitation  of  the 
trial  of  the  obedience  of  our  first  parents.  The 
whole  trial  of  their  obedience  was  confined  to  their 
conduct  v/ith  respect  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  the  tree 
of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  And  this  implies 
the  special  protection  which  God  would  exercise 
over  them,  while  that  state  of  trial  lasted,  that  tl^ieir 
innocency  should  not  be  endangered,  by  their  falling 
into  temptation  to  the  commission  of  any  other  sin. 
This  special  care  and  watchfulness  of  God  over  them, 
in  that  state  of  trial,  seems  to  be  intimated  by  his 
putting-  them  into  the  garden  of  Eden.  God  did  not 
leave  them  to  the  wide  world,  nor  suffer  them  to  be 
tned  in  any  other  matter  ;  no  other  temptation  could 
tlien  approach  them,  whereby  their  innocency  could 
be  endangered.  And  herein  appears  the  rich  grace 
of  God,  in  this  first  covenant-dispensation  to  his  crea- 
ture, man.  If  God  had  been  pleased  to  have  prom- 
ised life,  as  the  reward  of  his  obedience,  for  any  lim- 
ited time  ;  yet,  he  might  justly  have  appointed  to 
him,  to  pass  through  the  trial  of  his  obedience,  in  the 
various  branches  of  duty  required  in  the  whole  lav/  ; 
in  many  of  which,  he  would  have  been  as  liable  to 
have  fallen  into  sin,  as  he  was  in  this  pcUticular  point 
expressly  mentioned.  Yea,  the  command  which 
prohibited  him  from  eating  of  the  forbidden  fruit, 
seems  to  have  been  the  most  easy  precept  that  could 
have  been  devised.  And  consequently,  man  was  put 
under  all  imaginable  advantages  for  obtahiing  divine 
fuvor.  If  it  was  proper,  the  obedience  of  man  should 
be  tried  at  all,  surely,  such  a  light  trial  as  this,  was 
the  most  gracious  and  favorable  tiiat  could  be  propo- 
sed. And  yet,  the  v/hole  trial  of  man's  obedience, 
for  life  or  death,  lay  in  so  narrow  a  compass,  as  far 
as  we  have  any  account  about  it  in  the  word  of  God. 

Aitliough  the  event  shows,  that  we  are  brought  in- 
to an  estate  of  sin  and  misery  by  the  breach  of  the 
first  covenant ;  yet,  no  blame  can  be  cast  upon  God, 
nor  fault  found  v.'ith  the  covenant.  For  man  would 
have  been  as  liable  to  have  sinned  against  the  moral 


law,  which  is  the  law  of  nature,  if  it  had  remained  in 
the  mere  form  of  law  ;  as  he  was,  to  bin  against  it 
when  it  was  cast  into  this  covenimt  form  ;  yea,  and 
much  more  liable  ;  for  here  was  but  one  single  pre- 
cept upon  which  his  obedience  was  to  be  tried : 
whereas,  if  God  had  rc>t  made  this  covenant  with 
him,  but  had  left  him  under  the  law  in  the  state  in 
v/hich  he  was  created  ;  the  whole  law,  in  all  the 
branches  of  duty,  would  have  lain  before  him,  as  the 
matter  of  the  trial  of  his  obedience  ;  against  which, 
he  would  have  been  as  liable  to  have  sinned,  as  he 
was  of  sinning  against  this  particular  precept  which 
was  singled  out,  as  the  special  matter  of  his  trial  j 
and  death  would  have  been  his  due  by  the  law,  as 
much  as  it  was  by  this  covenant.  The  risk  there- 
fore, of  falling  into  sin,  would  have  been  much  great- 
er, had  it  not  been  for  this  covenant ;  and  that,  with- 
out any  opportunity  of  ever  obtaining  a  confirmed 
state  of  life,  or  being  entitled  to  any  reward  for  his 
obedience. 

Although  I  have  here  represented  man  as  put  up- 
on tlie  trial  of  his  obedience  for  life  or  death,  only  in 
the  particular  precepts  concerning  the  tree  of  life, 
and  the  tree  ol  knowledge  ;  yet  we  are  not  to  sup- 
pose, this  was  the  whole  duty  he  w\is  under  obliga- 
tion to  perform.  No,  the  moral  law  was  not  set 
aside  ;  but  was  taken  into  this  covenant-dispensation, 
and  still  remained  to  be  to  man  a  rule  of  duty.  It  is 
easy  to  conceive,  that  a  man  may  be  made  a  proba- 
tioner under  a  perfect  rule  of  righteousness  ;  and  yet, 
that  the  trial  of  the  perfection  of  his  obedience  should 
be  limited  to  a  single  point.  Man  was  under  obliga- 
tion to  maintain  conformity  to  God,  by  the  law  of  his 
creation,  if  there  had  been  neither  promises  nor 
threatenings  set  before  him.  But  in  this  covenant- 
dispensation,  God  subjoined  a  particular  test  of  obe- 
dience, adding  promises  and  threatenings  which 
stood  in  a  special  connexion  with  this  instituted  test. 
The  constitution  therefore,  under  which  man  was 
made  a  probivtioncr,  v/as  not  to  be  considered  as  the 


33 

law  merely  ;  but  the  tenor  of  the  divine  government 
was  changed  so  as  to  put  on  the  form,  and  piirtakc  of 
the  ninnro  of  a  covenant.  And  althcigh  the  fidelity 
of  man  was  not  brought  upon  trial  in  every  branch  of 
duty  ;  yetj  hi.d  he  been  faithful  in  those  points  where- 
in his  special  trial  consisted,  to  the  end  of  his  proba- 
tion ;  his  obedience  to  tlic  whole  law  would  have 
been  complete  ;  yea,  herein  would  have  been  a  com- 
plete trial  ol  roan,  with  respect  to  the  whole  of  that 
image  and  likeness  of  God  in  which  he  was  created. 
For  he  would  have  exercised  and  expressed  his  de- 
pendence on  God,  his  complacency  in  him,  and  sub- 
jection to  him,  with  the  integrity,  faithfulness,  trHth 
and  holiness  vhich  the  law  required' :  His  whole 
conform.ity  to  God  would  have  passed  through  a  prop- 
er trial,  altnough  his  obedience  had  not  been  tried  in 
cvery>point  of  duty. 

2.  The  death  threatened  in  this  covenant,  is  that 
death  tvhich  is  the  firojier  ivages  of  sin.  The  word 
death,  is  what  we  are  apt  to  confine  to  the  body,  as  if 
no  more  was  intended  by  it  than  a  bodily  death.  But 
tins  is  far  short  of  the  import  of  it,  as  that  word  is 
used  in  the  Bible,  when  the  punishment  or  wages  of 
sin  is  thereby  expressed.  Indeed,  the  death  of  the 
body  is  doubtless  ii. eluded  in  it ;  but  yet,  it  has  a  re- 
ference to  the  soul  as  well  as  the  body,  and  includes 
the  future  suiTerings  of  the  wrath  of  God.  The 
threatening  v/as  in  these  words  : — '*  In  the  day  that 
thou  eatest  thereof  tnou  shalt  surely  die."  Or  as  it 
is  translated  in  the  margin,  "  Dying  thou  shalt  die," 
which  doubling  of  the  expression  makes  it  a  more 
strong  and  emphatical  way  of  speaking,  to  denote 
something  very  great  and  fearful  ;  as  well  as  to  ex- 
press the  greater  certainty  of  it.  And  it  is  evident 
from  the  very  nature  of  sin,  that  the  soul  must  suffer 
for  it,  as  well  as  the  body.  For  the  soul  being  foi  m- 
ed,  in  its  oiiginal  make,  for  an  everlasting  duration, 
it  must  still  exist  after  the  death  of  the  body  :  but 
having  the  guilt  of  sin  upon  it,  its  union  with  God 
must  be  broken  up  ;  its  conformity  to  him  defaced  ; 


34 

and  its  interest  in  him  forfeited.  All  these  are  the 
natural  consequences  and  ciTects  of  sin.  And  be- 
sides, it  appears  fittini^,  that  God  should  show  his 
hatred  of  sin,  by  infiictiilJ^  some  proper  and  positive 
punishment  upon  the  soul  for  it,  above  v/hat  l!ie  nat- 
ural effects  of  sin  contain.  Hence  then,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  we  understand  this  threatening  of  death, 
contained  in  the  first  covenant,  to  include  future  suf- 
ferings, as  well  as  a  bodily  death. 

3.  It  appears  from  the  express  words  of  the  threat- 
ening, that  the  punishment  of  sin  was  t©  speedily  fol- 
low the  commission  of  it.  "  In  the  day  that  thou 
eatest  thereof,  thou  shalt  surely  die.''  It  is  evident 
that  hereby,  Adam  had  reason  to  expect,  God  would 
take  speedy  vengeance  upon  him  ;  and  that,  if  he 
sinned,  the  death  threatened  should  be  executed  upon 
him  on  that  same  day. 

Some  have  supposed,  if  God  had  left  fallen  Adam 
in  that  stale  of  sin  and  misery  into  which  he  brought 
himself  by  his  transgression,  vathout  bringing  in  the 
new  covenant  by  a  Redeemer ;  that  his  days  would 
have  been  prolonged  on  the  earth,  till  children  should 
have  been  born  unto  him  ;  and  that,  the  several  gen- 
erations of  men  would  have  been  brought  into  being 
much  in  the  same  manner  as  is  now  the  case.  But 
I  can  see  no  sufficient  evidence  to  support  such  a 
supposition,  neither  in  reason  nor  scripture.  It  is  a 
mere  supposition,  witliout  evidence  to  support  it. 
This  supposition  makes  it  necessary  to  put  a  very 
forced  construction  upon  the  words  of  the  threaten- 
ing. Nor  vrould  it  be  easy  to  reconcile  it  to  the  glo- 
rious perfections  of  God,  that  he  should  delay  his  jus- 
lice,  and  suifer  a  rebel,  after  he  had  deserved  death, 
to  continue  in  life,  and  become  instrumental  of  bring- 
ing" a  posterity  into  being,  who  must  be  involved 
with  himself,  in  the  same  common  ruin  and  misery. 
For  it  is  a  divine  precept,  early  given  to  mankind, 
"  Whoso  sheddcth  man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his 
blood  be  shed."  One  who  so  gives  himself  up  to 
wickedness,  as  to  destroy  the  lives  of  his  felloNY-creiV» 


35 

Uires,  is  not  ntto  live  on  the  earth,  t/od  himself  being 
judge  ;  and  has  theitiorc  ordcieci-  thai  ii;t  iiie  of 
such  shall  be  taken  iVom  the  earth,  by  the  hand  of 
civil  justice.  And  if  ttiib  diviric  statute  is  founded 
upon  natural  justice  and  equity?  the  sauie  reason 
v.'ould  forbid  the  sjnirini^  Adani's  life,  till  he  should 
become  instrumental  of  bringing  his  posterity  into 
being,  to  be  involved  v»ith  himself,  in  suffering  tha 
death  contained  in  the  curse.  For  to  suffer  eternal 
vengeance,  is  an  unspeakably  greater  evil,  than  the 
mere  loss  of  bodily  life  And  tlierefore,  the  sparing 
Adam  till,  he  should  leave  a  seed  behind  him,  would 
be,  to  allow  nim  to  do  infinitely  more  evil  and  mis- 
chief to  the  human  race,  than  can  be  supposed  to  fol- 
low from  letting  a  murderer  go  free,  alihorigh  he 
should  repeat  the  same  crime  as  often  as  he  had  op- 
portunity for  it.  Divine  justice  therefore,  did  mani- 
festly require  the  speedy  execution  of  the  original 
threatening.  Indeed,  God  is  now,  long  suliering  to  us 
ward  ;  and  divine  vengeance  is  not  how  speedily  exe- 
cuted upon  the  children  of  men.  But  this  is  ov.ing 
to  the  interposition  of  a  medi?»tor  ;  without  which, 
such  delays  ot  justice  are  not  reconcilable  to  the  di- 
vine perfections. 

Again;  if  we  suppose  the  days  of  Adam  were  to 
be  lengthened  otit,  and  children  born  unto  him,  and 
the  several  generations  of  men  coming  into  the 
world,  in  the  succession  and  order  of  nature  ;  we 
must  suppose  also,  such  kind  dispensations  and  inter- 
positions of  divine  providence  towards  them  as  there 
are  now,  to  feed  and  clothe  them,  and  to  bestow  the 
good  things  of  this  life  upon  them  ;  without  which, 
7-nankind  could  not  subsist  on  the  earth.  But  to 
suppose  this,  W'Ould  be  to  make  the  great  governor 
€f  the  v/orld  inconsistent  with  himself ;  and  to  con- 
tradict that,  in  the  language  of  his  providence,  which 
he  had  spoken  with  his  mouth.  For  such  kind  inter- 
positions of  providence  really  express  divine  good 
will  to  man.  This  is  the  construction  which  tWc 
Jipcstle  puts  upon  them,  as  their  plain  and  manifest 


import.  Acts  xiv.  17,  "  Ncvcrtlieless  he  left  not 
himself  Aviihout  witness,  in  that  he  did  j^ood,  and 
gave  us  rain  from  heaven,  r>nd  fruitful  seajjons,  filling- 
our  heart  with  food  and  t^ladness."  It  is  the  plain 
language  of  such  a  kind  providence,  that  God  has 
some  real  good  will  towards  us,  that  lie  is  willing  to 
pardon  and  be  reconciled  to  us  notwithstanding  all 
our  transgressions.  But  liow  inconsistent  would  such 
providential  expi'esbions  of  divine  favor  be,  if  God 
had  no  good  will  in  iiis  heart  tow^ards  us,  and  had  de- 
clared, that  nottiing  but  wrath  should  be  our  portion 
at  his  hands  ! 

Seeing  then,  it  is  not  so  agreeable  to  the  perfec- 
tions of  Ged,  nor  the  glory  of  his  providential  gov- 
ernment, to  suppose  Adam  would  have  lived  so  long- 
after  his  fall,  as  to  leave  a  seed  behind  him  on  the 
earth  ;  so  neither  is  this  supposition  necessary  to  es- 
Icibiish  any  article  of  faith  contained  in  the  gospel. 
li  is  much  more  rational,  and  more  agreeable  to  the 
scripture^  to  take  tliis  threatening  of  death,  contained 
in  the  first  covenant,  in  i'.s  plain  and  obvious  import ; 
and  to  believe,  that,  had  it  not  been  for  the  inteip^isi- 
tion  of  the  promised  Savior,  death  would  liave  been 
executed  upon  Adam,  in  the  day  that  he  sinned. 

And  had  ihis  been  the  case,  then  many  of  those 
difficulties  wiiich  arise  in  our  minds  «ibout  original 
sin,  are  taken  out  of  the  way.  For  as  to  Adam  iiim- 
^tii',  it  is  easy  to  see,  as  appears  from  v.  hat  has  been 
observed,  that  it  was  a  very  gracious  dispensation  of 
God  towards  him,  to  m-jkc  this  covenant  with 
liim.  I'or  he  was  every  way  as  well  provided  ior, 
raid  under  as  good  circumstances  as  lie  would  have 
been,  if  God  had  not  made  this  covenant  with  him  ; 
but  had  left  hin;  in  the  state  iu  wlixh  he  was  created. 
And  as  he  was  worse  ofl  in  no  respect :  so  he  was 
better  off'  in  ntany.  lie  had  a  short  and  easy  point  of 
tiiul  assigned  him  ;  and  fair  advantages  put  into  his 
bonds  of  securing  a  blessed  immortalily. 

But  the  greatest  difiiculty  that  attends  this  coven- 
ant which  God  made  with  our  first  parents,  is  the  in- 


3T 

uluiUng-  their  posterity,  to  stand  or  fall  with  them, 
and  be  ec|ual  sharers  with  the  original  transgressors, 
in  the  fruits  and  punishment  of  their  disobedience. 
In  t^is  respect,  some  look  upon  that  dispensation  of 
God,  as  inconsistent  with  the  rules  of  moral  equity. 
That  we  should  fall  under  the  curse  for  the  sin  of 
Adam,  which  was  not  in  our  power  to  prevent,  and 
Avas  committed  before  we  were  born,  looks  incredi- 
ble to  some  ;  and  it  rftust  be  confessed,  that  it  is  at- 
tended with  some  difriculties  :  yet  I  trust,  the  diffi- 
culties which  attend  this  doctrine,  truly  stated,  arc 
not  so  great,  but  that  a  satisfactory  solution  may  be 
given  of  them  ;  which  1  shall  attempt  to  do,  under 
the  second  general  head  of  this  discourse,  when  we 
come  to  enquire  how  we  are  inade  alive  in  Christ, 
loi^  the  docliine  of  original  sin  cannot  be  rightly  un- 
derstood, by  attending  only  to  this  covenant  made 
with  Adam  j  but  Ave  must  also  vicAv  it,  in  its  connex- 
ion Avith  the  covenant  of  grace,  brought  in  by  the 
inedi-idon  of  rl-e  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  I  shall  here 
ofier  seme  evidence  of  the  truth  of  this  doctnne  ;  and 
leave  the  difficuities  that  attend  it,  to  be  clccired  up 
in  their  proper  phicc.  I  tiierefore  proceed  to  ob- 
serve, 

4.  7y-usjirst  covenani  iva-v  Tnade  Kvith  Adam.,  both 
for  hhn'sd/^  und  his  jiosterity.  They  that  hold  the 
.doctrine  of  the  iii4)uta!.ioij*  of  Adam's  firs^t  sin  to  his 

*  I  haA'e  used  the  word  imputation  \x\  this  disccurse,  in 
writing  both  of  original  siiu  awd  ol  jusvirication,  in  conform- 
ity tQ  the  comtiion  st)  la  of  Christian  writers  for  many  years  ; 
aithoug-h  1  have  therein  d.  ported  from  tlie  li<ng-uage  of  the 
inspired  vvriters,  who  have  never  used  that  word  in  treating* 
of  eiUicr  of  ihc-se  dortrlt-es.  1  he  apostles  doubtless  knew 
hov/-io  treat  of  our  participation  of  i.he  henefiis  of  Christ's 
mediation,  in  the  most  proper  terms  :  and  the  phrases  wiiich 
ihey  have  used  are,  *'  Tu  be  in  Chriat  To  be  joined  to  the 
Lord  To  have  fclUivship  -with  him.  To  be  partakers  of 
Chriiit^'' ;  and  such  like.  Union  to  Chrrst  by  faitii,  is  the 
way  ifi  which  our  partp.king  of  the  benefits  of  his  mediation 
is  iv()resented  in  the  gospel  :  but  to  use  the  word  imputation 
in  this  case,  cloth  not  so  directly  lead  our  thoughts  to  this 

.4 


38 

posterity,  pround  their  belief,  not  upon  his  being 
their  natural  lather  :  but  upon  his  beiii^-  <  p^'ointed  to 
aci  for  ihem  in  that  covenant,  as  their  covenant-head. 
We  bulier  for  the  sin  of  Adam,  not  so  properly  be- 
cause he  was  our  natural  lather  ;  lor  then,  there 
Avcnid  be  as  niuch  reason  why  \Ve  bhould  suffer  for 
ali  his  oiher  sins,  as  lor  his  first  sin  :  yea,  and  lor  ail 
the  sins  of  ali  our  lore-fathers,  as  weli  as  for  Adam's 
sin  :  but  the  reason  why  his  first  sin  isinrputed  to  us, 
is  because  that  is  the  sin  by  which  he  broke  that  cov- 
enant hi  which  he  was  to  act  for  us,  as  our  covenant- 
head. 

In  that  covenant,  Adam  was  to  stand  a  probationer 
for  some  certain  limited  time,  (how  long-  is  not  told 
us)  before  he  should  finish  his  course,  had  he  been 
faithful  under  it:  But  this  we  know  ;  as  s^on  as  he 
sinned,  he  put  an  end  to  all  further  trial.  It  then  be- 
came impossible  for  him  to  obtain  life,  according-  to 
that  dispensation.  His  death  was  become  a  deter- 
mined m/atter.  Yea,  he  then  so  finished  his  proba- 
tion, that,  accordmg  to  the  express  words  ol  the 
covenant,  he  was  to  suffer  death  on  that  very  day. 
And,  that  he  acted  under  that  covenant  for  his  pos- 
terity, us  well  as  for  himself,  is  a  truth  of  which  there 
is  abundant  evidence,  both  from  daily  experience,  and 
the  plain  testimony  of  the  sacred  scripture. 

union,  as  those  expressions  do,  which  are  used  by  the  apos- 
tles. Although  oui  justification  by  Christ's  rigbteousi  ess 
may  be  expi  £  ssed,  witb  some  degree  of  propriety,  by  say- 
ing, his  righteousness  is  imputed  to  the  belitxer  ;  jetl  can  see 
no  reason  why  we  shoulci  usr  a  word  to  express  i;ur  recei- 
ving bent  fits  from  his  obedience-,  which  will  not  express  our 
receiving  ihr  benefits  cfibt  other  parts  of  his  mediatorial 
Work.  Christ  -was  delivered  for  our  ifftnces  and  -zvas  raised 
agtJnfor  our justtjicutiof,  .-  yet,  whc.t  woviid  be  the  prcpiie- 
ty  ol  speakinj;  ol  his  resuireciion,  *as  being   m'puted  to  us  ? 

But  the  u&e  of  the  woid  imputation  has  so  generally  ob- 
tained, in  speaking  of  originai  sin  and  of  justification  by- 
faith,  that  bait  ty  negUc'ii  g  the  us.  oftl.at  word,  would 
prejudice  niw.y  readers  agamst  any  ilung  that  can  be  writ- 
ten. 


39 

That  God  hath  dealt  with  mankind  as  sinners,  ofe 
account  of  this  first  sin  of  Adam,  is  evident  from  un- 
deniable facts. 

1.  Tis  fact,  that  for  his  transgression,  a  curse  was 
laid  upon  the  earth  ;  and  upon  them  that  dwell  on  it. 
The  sentence  passed  upon  Adam  for  his  transgres- 
sion, was,  "  Cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy  sake  ;  in 
sorrow  shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  thy  liie. 
Thorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth  to  thee  r 
and  thou  shalt  cat  the  herb  of  the  field.  In  the  sweat 
of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread,  till  thou  return  unto 
the  ground;  for  out  of  it  wast  thou  taken  :  for  dust 
thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return."  This  is 
the  curse  which  was  laid  upon  Adam  for  his  breach 
of  covenant.  And  it  is  evident,  that  this  curse' as 
fully  lies  upon  his  posterity,  as  it  did  upon  him  And 
God,  by  thus  extending  the  chastisement  of  hisbreach 
of  covenant  to  his  seed,  makes  it  manifest,  that  by 
divine  appointment,  he  acted  for  them  in  that  coven- 
ant, us  v/cll  as  for  himself. 

2.  'Tis  fact,  that  Adam's  seed  are  no  sooner  born, 
but  they  share  in  the  natural  evils  of  this  present 
state,  pains,  sorrows  and  distresses  of  one  kind  or  an- 
other,  and  often  times  with  bodily  death,  before  they 
are  capable  of  committing  actual  sin.  But  such 
treatment  of  creatures  v/ho  are  innocent  and  pure 
from  all  sin,  at  the  hand  of  an  holy,  just  and  good 
God,  must  be  acknowledged  as  unaccountable.  Fo?^ 
death  is  the  nvages  of  sin.  Unless  therefore  the  guilt 
of  sin  lies  upon  mankind,  as  they  come  into  the  world, 
such  treatment  of  them  atthe  hand  of  God,  can  never 
be  reconciled  to  his  perfections.  For  sin  is  tJie  pro^ 
curing  cause  of  the  divine  displeasure.  Therefore 
these  expressions  of  God*s  displeasure  towards  man- 
kind, as  soon  as  they  are  born,  before  they  can  com- 
mit actual  sin,  contain  convincing  evidence  of  their 
sh?.ring  in  the  sin  of  Adam. 

3.  'Tis  fact,  that  upon  Adam's  transgression,  our 
first  parents  were  driven  out  of  the  garden  ;  they, 
;i;KJ  their  posterity  were  fjrever  cut  off  from  all  ac- 


40 

t>ess  to  Uie  tree  of  life,  and  the  tree  of  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil.  Immediately  upon  the  first  transgres- 
sion, that  way  of  life  was  forever  set  aside  ;  and  these 
two  sacramental  trees  were  of  no  further  use,  eithef 
to  them,  or  to  their  posterity.  And  as  the  covenant 
made  with  Adam,  was  laid  aside  upon  his  sin,  and  a 
:ie\v  one  introduced  ;  it  i.^  therchy  evident,  that  all 
trial  under  that  first  dispensation  was  confined  to  our 
first  parents,  in  whom  their  posterity  were  included. 
Why  also  were  not  his  children  allowed  liberty  of  a 
personal  trial  under  that  dispensation  ? 

4.  'Tis  fact,  that  mankind  are  born  into  the  world, 
in  a  slate  of  moral  depravily.  'Tis  too  evident  to  be 
denied,  that  there  is  some  moral  defect  belonging  to 
mankind  by  nature,  which  is  the  reason  why  "  They 
all  go  astray  as  soon  as  they  are  born,"  are  all  aliena- 
ted from  God,  and  inclined  to  creattire-vanities  and 
sinful  ^courses.  If  vre  consider  what  that  image  and 
likeness  of  God  was,  in  which  man  was  at  first  crea- 
ted ;  it  will  appear  evident  lUai  we  do  net  come  into 
the  world  in  such  a  state,  at  this  day.  Instead  of  the 
divine  likeness,  our  nature  is  corrupted,  and  stored 
with  the  seeds  of  all  manner  of  sin  and  wickedness  ; 
which  is  the  fruit  of  the  original  apcstacy,  and  a  clear 
evidence  of  our  being  included  in  our  first  parents,  in 
;that  covenant.  How  the  imputation  of  the  sin  of 
Adam  to  his  posterity,  should  have  such  a  depravhig 
effect  upon  their  nature,  I  shall  shew  hereafter  ;  but 
that  this  is  the  case,  cannot  be  denied,  and  is  there- 
fore a  full  proof  of  the  doctrine  of  original  sin. 

Observation  and  experience  thus  afford  us  con- 
vincing evidence  of  our  participation  in  the  apostacy 
of  our  first  parents  :  to  which  we  may  add,  the  plain 
testimony  of  God  in  his  word  The  very  terms  of 
the  covenrint  as  it  was  set  forth  to  Adam,  clearly 
show,  that  his  seed  were  included  with  him  in  that 
dispensation.  For  when  Adam  was  made,  his  Crea- 
tor pronounced  that  blessing  on  him,  "  Multiply  and 
replenish  the  earth."  Here,  a  seed  was  evidently 
given  him.     But  when  God  entered  into  covenaHt 


41 

with  him,  the  threatening  set  before  him  was,  "  la 
the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  sh  I.  i;uiely 
die."  As  therefore,  he  was  put  upon  trial  tor  life  or 
death,  and  was  to  suffer  death  on  the  d;iy  that  he 
sinned,  it  is  evident  that,  had  the  punishment  bten 
executed  upon  him  accordinc^  to  the  ey.pi  ess  icrn^s  of 
the  threatening,  both  he,  and  his  seen  together,  vrould 
have  been  cut  off  at  one  stroke.  The  then  future 
existence  of  his  seed  would  have  been  prevented  by 
his  sin.  inasnuich  tiien,  as  a  seed  was  granted  to 
him,  and  yet,  the  very  existence  of  his  seed  de- 
pended upon  his  conduct  in  that  state  of  trial,  it  ne- 
cessarily follows,  tlii.t  he  then  acted  for  them,  as  well 
as  himself. 

The  tenor  also  of  the  covenant  of  grace  plainly 
shows,  that  we  are  by  nature,  in  a  fallen  state.  The 
errand  upon  which  God  sent  his  Son  into  the  world, 
was  to  save  sinners.  None  but  sinners  need  a  Sav- 
ior; and  such  only  he  came  to  save.  "Neither  is 
there  salvation  in  any  other  ;  for  there  is  no  other 
name  under  iieaven,  given  among  men,  whereby  we 
must  be  saved  "  If  then,  mankind  come  into  the 
world  in  such  a  state,  that  they  can  obtain  life  only 
by  Christ;  it  is  evident  that  they  come  into  the 
world  in  a  state  of  sin.  "  The  whole  need  not  a  phy- 
sician ;.  but  they  that  are  sic*v."  Unless  we  are  sin- 
ners we  stand  in  no  need  of  a  Savior  :  but  if  we  need 
a  Savior,  it  is  because  the  guilt  of  sin  lies  upon  us. 
If  an  infant,  dying  in  infancy,  enters  into  life  ;  it 
must  be  cither  by  its  own  sinless  perfection  ;  or  by- 
virtue  of  Christ's  mediation.  But  to  say,  it  enters 
into  life  by  its  own  innocence  ;  is  to  say,  that  there  is 
some  other  way,  some  other  name  given  among 
men,  whereby  we  may  be  saved  ;  in  express  contra- 
diction to  the  scriptures.  But  if  we  say,  they  enter 
into  life  through  the  merits  of  Christ  ;  we  must  ac- 
knowledge that  the  guilt  of  sin  lies  upon  them.  And 
if  we  come  into  the  world  with  the  guilt  of  sin  upon 
%is  ;  it  must  be,  by  our  fellowship  with  Adam,  in  his 
breach  of  eovenant.  And  this  is  the  constant  repre- 
4  * 


sentation  in  the  sacred  scripture.  On  this  account,  a» 
comparison  is  so  often  made  between  Adam  and 
Christ.  An  instance  of  this  we  have  in  Rom.  v.  12, 
and  following  verses,  where  we  find  such  expres- 
sions as  these  :  "  Wherefore,  as  by  one  man,  sin  en- 
tered into  the  world. — Through  the  offence  of  one, 
many  be  dead. — The  judgment  was  by  one  to  con- 
demnation— As  by  the  offence  of  one,  judgment 
came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation  :  even  so,  by  the 
righteousness  of  one,  the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men 
to  the  justification  of  life.  For  as  by  one  man's  diso- 
bedience many  were  made  sinners  :  so  by  the  obedi- 
ence of  one,  shall  many  be  made  righteous."  And 
to  the  same  purpose,  are  the  words  of  our  text :  *'  For 
since  by  man  came  death  ;  by  man  came  also  the  res- 
urrection of  the  dead.  For  as  in  Adam  all  die  :  so 
in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive.'* 

Thus,  we  have  sufficient  evidence,  that  Adam 
acted  in  that  covenant  made  with  him,  both  for  him- 
self, and  his  seed.  He  being  appointed  by  God,  as 
their  covenant-head  ;  they  are  legally  guilty  by  his 
transgression  ;  and  on  that  account,  God  treats  them 
as  sinners.  What  those  evils  are,  which  his  posteri- 
ty suffer  on  account  of  his  sin,  shall  be  hereafter  con- 
sidered. All  that  I  here  aim  at,  is  to  prove  the 
point ;  or  to  show  that  we  are  become  guilty  in  the 
sight  of  God,  by  his  transgression. 

III.  I  proceed  to  consider  the  fall  of  Adam,  and 
the  state  into  which  he  brought  himself,  and  his  pos- 
terity. 

I'Jotwithsthstanding  the  rich  grace  which  God  had 
jnanifested  to  man,  in  treating  with  him  in  a  covenant 
form,  wherein  such  great  and  valuable  privileges 
were  proposed,  and  such  easy  terms  of  trial  prescri- 
bed ;  yet  we  find,  man  proved  unfaithful  to  God, 
broke  covenant  with  him,  and  forfeited  all  the  privi- 
leges of  it.  He  put  forth  his  hand,  and  took  of  the 
fruit  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  and 
<Md  eat  of  it  j   although  God  had  commanded  him> 


43 

saying,  "  Thou  shall  not  cat  of  it  ;  for  in  the  day  that 
thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  shalt  su\;ely  die."  Here 
then,  let  us  consider  this  breach  of  covenant,  and  the 
destructive  consequences  of  it. 

1.  Hereby  Adiim  put  an  end  to  his  trial,  and  fin- 
ished his  probation-state.  By  this  sin  Adam  deter- 
mined his  own  state,  that  death  should  be  his  por- 
tion. There  reinained  no  possibiiiiy  for  lum,  under 
that  dispensation,  to  obtain  Life.  His  case  was  deci- 
ded. His  probation  was  finished.  His  after-conduct 
was  of  no  avail.  That  covenant  no  Ioniser  answered 
any  purpose  to  him,  but  his  condemnAlion.  If  Adam 
had  faithfully  kept  covenant  with  God  to  the  end  of 
Ins  probation-state,  he  would  have  had  a  covenant-ti- 
tle to  the  reward  of  life,  according  to  tlie  promise. 
But  this  covenant,  and  the  promises  of  it,  were  of  no 
further  advantac^e  to  him  ;  he  could  reap  no  benefit 
from  them.  The  threatened  punishment  now  be- 
come his  due,  without  further  trial. 

2.  By  this  sin,  Adam  cut  himself  oiTfrcm  all  in- 
terest in  God,  and  fell  under  his  wrath.  By  con- 
tracting guilt,  he  became  vile  in  the  sight  of  God  ; 
and  armed  the  righteousness,  trutli  and  faithfulness 
of  God  against  him  for  the  execiuion  of  threatened 
vengeance.  He  proved  himself  a  rebel  against  his 
Creator  ;  and  thereby  the  God  that  made  him  was 
turned  to  be  his  enemy.  The  glory  of  his  great 
name  made  it  necessary  not  to  suffer  this  sin  to  go 
unpunished. 

3.  Hereby  Adam  divested  himself  of  that  image 
of  God  in  which  he  was  created.  The  image  of 
God  in  which  m.an  was  at  first  created,  did  include, 
as  has  been  observed,  dependence  upon,  and  subjec- 
tion to  him,  with  full  delight  and  complacency  ia 
him,  as  an  all-satisfying  portion  to  the  soul  ;  togetli- 
er  with  an  holy  rectitude  of  mind,  and  conformity  of 
heart  to  the  moral  perfections  of  the  divine  nature. 
But  if  we  attend  to  this  matter,  and  consider  the  sev- 
eral properties  of  this  divine  likeness  on  the  soul  ; 
wc  shall  see  how  Adam,  by  committing  this  sin,  di- 


44 

vested  himself  of  it.  For,  as  to  dependence  on  Godr 
this  was  v.holly  rooted  out  of  his  heart.  lie  could 
have  no  dependence  on  God,  for  any  good  thin;^  ; 
nothing  but  deserved  wrath  was  iic  to  expect  from 
him,  in  !iis  guilty  stute.  This  is  evident  tror.i  the 
threat  ;  in  ;•  of  the  covenant  unc!er  which  he  sitnied. 

As  to  subjection  to  divine  authority,  this  was  re- 
nounced in  the  very  act  of  sinning. 

And  as  to  cojnplacency  of  soul  in  God,  wherein  the 
soul  takes  up  its  rest  in  the  enjoyment  of  him,  as  an 
all -satisfying  good  and  portion  ;  this  was  counter^  cted, 
and  the  sou!,  in  the  very  act  of  sinning,  was  turned 
av/ay  from  God  to  the  creature  ;  and  that  interest  in 
God,  on  which  this  delight  in  him  depended,  vras 
forfeited. 

And  as  to  any  likeness  to  God  v/ith  respect  to  his 
moral  perfections,  consisting  in  rectitude,  purity,  l;o- 
liness,  &c.  what  idea  is  it  possible  for  us  to  have  of  it 
in  that  heart,  from  which  ail  dependence  on  God, 
complacency  in  him,  and  subjection  to  him  are  lost 
and  gone  ?  A  little  attention  to  these  things  will  give 
us  clearly  to  see,  hov/  by  the  first  act  of  sin,  Adain 
lost  and  defaced  that  image  and  likeness  of  God  from 
his  nature,  in  which  he  was  created  ;  and  rendered 
himself  unlike  Gcd,  and  contrary  to  him,  throughout 
his  moral  frame. 

4.  By  this  first  sin  Adam  turned  himself  out  of  the 
service  of  God.  It  was  not  becoming  the  glory  of 
God,  under  that  constitution,  to  retain  a  rebel  in  his 
service  :  but  it  became  necessary  to  punish  him  as  a 
sinner. 

The  general  nature  of  that  service  which  was 
tlue  to  God  from  man,  by  the  moral  law,  which 
still  remained  to  be  his  rule  of  duty  in  this  covenant- 
form,  was  for  man  so  to  behave  as  to  exercise  and 
exhibit  a  proper  manifestation  of  that  image  and  like- 
ness of  his  Creator  in  which  he  was  made  ;  as  has 
been  already  shown.  But  man,  by  blotting  out  this 
imi^ge,  disabled  himself  for  this  service.  This  di- 
vine image  being  lost,  there  could  no  Ipng^r  be  any 


tibilily  in  inan  for  an  cxl'biuon  of  it.  Yea,  there  was* 
not  only  this  loss  of  ability  ;  but  man  was  hereby  re- 
ally tnrned  cut  of  the  service  of  God. 

As  (his  is  a  fioint  i7i  vjhich  I  have  been  heretofore 
greatly  viisundcrsiood^  I  nvill  take  the  raore  fmit.s  no%v 
to  give  a  more  full  illustrution  of  it. 

Doubtless  it  will  be  readily  g-ranted,  that  Adam,  by 
his  shi,  cut  hiinseif  off  from  God,  and  forfritcd  ail 
interest  in  him.  Let  it  then  be  remembered:  that 
the  g-encral  nature  of  that  service  which  was  requir- 
ed of  man,  by  the  moral  law,  consisted  in  preserving, 
exercisini^-  and  expressing  the  severarproperties  of 
that  divine  image  in  which  he  was  created,  in  the 
several  actions,  and  on  the  various  occasions  of  life  ; 
as  I  have  shewn  in  tiie  lirst  part  of  this  discourse'. 
SoiTie  of  the  leading  and  principal  exercises  in  which 
this  divine  imag-e  is  expressed,  are  such  exercises  as 
these,  viz.  delights  comjilacencij-,  hope,,  trust-^  and  dc- 
p<ndaici'.  Now,  all  these  exercises  imply  and  pre- 
suppose, that  the  soul  enjoys  access  to  God,  and  is 
interested  in  him.  While  Adr.m's  interest  in  God 
remained,  it  was  his  duty  to  maintain  these  exercises 
cf  soul  towards  him  :  but  when  his  interest  in  God, 
on  which  these  exercises  depended,  was  forfeited  ; 
the  penalty  of  the  broken  law  must  be  ailow'cd  to 
take  place.  The  penalty  or  sanction  of  the  broken 
law,  cut  him  off  from  God,  and  from  all  hope,  trust 
and  dependence  upon  him  ;  and  it  no  longer  allowed 
him  to  enjoy  God  as  l.is  portion  in  tiie  exercises  of 
complacency  and  delight,  wliich  exercises  depend 
upon,  and  pre-suppose  and  imply  some  interest  that 
the  soul  has  in  him.  In  these  respects  then,  it  is  ev- 
iiient,  that  Adam,  by  becoming  guilty,  did  turn  him- 
self out  of  the  service  of  Ciod.  i'or  vhen  all  such 
exercises  of  soul  as  imply  interest  in  God.,  i.re  ex- 
cepted ;  there  will  but  very  little  remain,  that  can 
properly  be  called  duty. 

Ofjectlon.  Was  it  not  still  Adan-j's  duly  to  love 
God  v.'iih  all  his  iie-M  t  ?  Did  the  first  sin  forever  after 
exempt  liim  from  all  duty  to  God;  and  ail  obligation 


46 

lo  his  Creator  r  Was  he  not  still  under  obUp;ation  to 
obey  the  whole  law  ?  Or  mii^ht  he  act  as  he  pleas- 
ed ;  and  yet,  none  of  his  actions  be  acccounted  crim- 
inal ? 

^fisiver.  Is  it  proper  to  require  a  man,  -who  hath 
cut  off  both  his  lef^s,  to  rise  up  and  walk  ?  Is  a  dead 
man  under  obligations  to  perform  the  services  of  the 
living  ?  Indeed,  I  grant,  the  inability  which  Adam 
brought  upon  himself  by  his  own  misconduct,  con* 
sidered  merely  as  inability,  did  not  excuse  him.  A 
mun  that  cuts  off  both  nis  legs,  thereby  fixeth  a  last- 
ing blame  upon  himself.  The  simple  act  of  cutting 
off  his  legs,  is  but  a  transient  act ;  but  the  crime,  or 
criminal  quality  of  the  action,  is  permanent,  fixed, 
and  as  lasting  as  his  life  :  but  I  cannot  see,  how  a 
man  can  be  blamed  for  not  using  his  legs,  when  he 
has  none  to  use.  But  the  inability  of  Adam's  fallen 
state,  was  not  mere  inability  j  but  he  was  disfranchis- 
ed, or  incapacitated  by  the  constitution  under  which 
he  sinned.  For  consider  :  Did  the  penalty  of  the 
broken  law  cut  him  off  from  ail  hope,  trust,  depend' 
ence,  and  expectation  of  favor  from  God  ?  Or  can  the 
law  require  thef^e  exercises  of  hope,  trust  and  de- 
pendence, of  a  man,  in  such  a  state  in  which  the  pen- 
alty of  the  iavv'  cuts  hi  in  off  from  them  ?  And  yet, 
these  exercises  are  included  in  loving  God  with  all 
the  heart.  Can  we  view  Adam,  in  his  fallen  state, 
and  without  a  mediator,  as  performing  his  duty,  if  he 
had  exercised  the  same  hope,  trust,  dependence  up- 
on, cjid  confidence  towards  God,  as  would  have  been 
his  duty,  if  he  had  never  forfeited  his  interest  in  God  ? 
It  is  common  for  preachers  to  tell  sinners,  *'  It  is 
presumption  to  trust  to  the  goodness  of  God  to  save 
them,  wiiiist  they  neglect  and  disregard  the  Savior. '* 
And  for  the  same  reason,  that  confidence  in  God, 
which  was  Adam's  duty  before  the  fall,  was  presump- 
tion in  him,  after  he  sinned. 

Reqviired  obedience  is  not  merely  duty,  but  it  is 
a  privilege.  This  hope,  trust,  dependence  upon,  and 
vesting'  of  soul  in  Godj  in  which  obedience  primarily 


47 

jlnd  radically  consists,  may  as  properly  be  ranked  un- 
del  the  heaci  of  piiviicgcb,  as  ot  duiies  ;    but  tliey  are 
piivilei^cs  which    were  lorfcited    by   sin.       In    these 
thini^s  the  lite,  the  glory,  and  the  blessedness  of  the 
human  nature  consisted.      1  trust,  such  as  do  net  es- 
teem cbeclience  io  God>  as  a  most  valuable  piiviiege, 
hciVe  a  very  nistaken  notion  of  it.    Is  ii  not  a  privilege 
that  we  may  have  access  lo  God  ;    that  v/e  may  come 
before  hmi  wiih  holy  boldness  and  humble  coiifidcnce 
as  children  to  a  father,  abk;  and  ready  to  help  us  ?  Is 
it  not  a  piiviiege  to  devote  ourselves  to  him,  put  con- 
fidence ill  him,  and  trust  ourselves  with  him  in  life 
aiKi  death  ?  And  are  not  these  exercises  that  inwhi^di 
all  true  obedience  primarily   and   radically  consists  I 
Or  v/hat  is  there,  that  the  law  requires,  that  does  not 
fiow  from,  but  is  wholly  destitute  of  all  such  exerci- 
ses of  heart  as  are  necessarily  predicated  upon  au  in- 
terest in  God  l  or  i  would  query  whether  the  law  can 
require  Adam  in  his  guiliy    etate,  to  maintain   these 
exercises  of  soul  towards  God,  and  at  the  same  time 
cut  him  off' from  that  interest  in  him,   winch  is  the 
Ibundadon,  life  and  spirit  of  these  exercises  ?    It  was 
fallen  Adam's  punishment  to  be    cut  off  from,   and 
turned  out  of  the  service  of  God.     Herein  iie  was  dis- 
franchised by  '.he  constitution  under  winch  he  sinned. 
He  v/as  hot  excused  from  duty  because  cf  inabiiiiy  ; 
nor  was  he  to  be  considered  as  having  received  a  re- 
lease from  anyci^biigation  that  had  been  laid  upon  liim  ; 
but  as  cast  off  by  God,  and  turned  out  of  his  service, 
no  more  to  have  any  access  to  him,  dependence  upon 
him,  or  expectation  of  any   good   thing  from  him. 
Thus  was  he  a  totally  ruined  creature- 

It  must  be  here  remembered  that  I  am  speriking  of 
the  state  Adam  was  in,  after  the  fall,  before  the  cove- 
nant of  grace  was  revealed.  Tlic  disfranchisemeni  is 
nov/  taken  off  by  the  mediator,  as  1  shall  more  fully 
show  hereafter  ;  and  it  has  thereby  become  our  intds- 
pensableduty  to  ioye  God  with  all  the  heart ;  although 
Adam  was  cut  off  from  it,  for  his  sin,  till  the  new  cov- 
enant was  brought  in.     And  the  seeming  absurdity  of 


48 

fiaying,  that  x^.cuim  in  his  iallqii  state,  was  not  required 
to  love  Goci  with  all  his  heart,  is  partly  owing  to  oiu' 
not  attencHiii;  to  the  nature  of  those  CKcrciscs  of  hope, 
trust,  dependence,  Sec.  which  are  included  in  lovins^- 
God  with  all  the  heart,  and  the  connection  there  is 
between  them  and  an  interest  in  God,  and  partly  to 
our  accustoming;  ourselves  to  foim  our  apprehension 
of  the  state  of  fallen  man,  according-  to  what  it  now  isj 
since  the  new  covenant  is  brought  in. 

I  readily  grant,  that  our  inability  in  our  prcseiU 
fallen  state,  is  no  excuse  for  us  ;  because  the  inlro- 
duction  of  the  covenant  of  grace  by  the  mediaiion  of 
Christ,  has  made  our  present  state  gi'eatly  different 
from  that  into  which  Adam  brought  himself  by  the 
fall  :  the  disfriuichisement  is  thereijy  taken  off.  I 
know  that  it  sounds  strange  to  some,  to  say  that  Ad- 
am, afttr  his  fall-)  nvas  not  rdcuirecl  to  love  Gad  with 
all  his  heart.  But  the  address  of  it  is,  in  a  great 
measure,  owing  to  our  accustoming  ourselves,  to  a 
loose,  general  way  of  speaking,  without  exact  and 
fixed  ideas.  For  wlien  all  such  exercises  are  ex- 
cepted, which  imply  and  pre-suppose interest  in  God, 
and  access  to  hiira  ;  viz.  complacency,  delight,  hopj, 
trust,  dependence, and  confidence  towardsGod  ;  theie 
Vv'iil  be  but  a  very  small  part  of  the  heart  left,  where- 
with we  niay  love  God.  Nor  are  these  distinctions 
to  be  styled  rnetapJiysiccly  nice,  or  ciLvioiia  afieciilu- 
tionsy  which  tend  to  puzzle  and  cpnfotmd  men's 
minds  ;  but  it  is  an  important  aiid  very  useful  point. 
It  is  this  thut  convinceth  the  sinner  of  t'le  misery  of 
a  sinl^l  state,  sis  he  is  cut  off  from  God,  and  in  per- 
ishing need  of  a  Savior.  It  is  a  conviction  of  this 
truth,  that  effectually  humbles  the  proud,  self-justify- 
ing licai  t  to  the  toot  ot  a  sovereign  God.  And  it  is  a 
sense  of  tiiis  truth,  that  more  especially  prepares 
and  disposeth  the  humbled  soul,  to  receive  eternal 
life,  iis  a  tree  gift  of  sovereign  grace. 

Although  Adam  was  disfranchised  for  his  sin,  and 
-turned  out  ot  the  service  of  God,  especially  in  all 
.buph  exercises  us  imply  access  to  him,  or  interest  in 


4$ 

hiin,  by  the  sanction  of  the  law  that  he  had  broken  j 
yet,  it  will  not  Ibilow,  that  his  obligations  of  every 
kind  were  cancelled,  so  that  his  after-conduct  could 
be  no  ways  criminal.  He  still  continued  a  rational 
creature,  and  ought  to  act  a  rational  part.  He  ought 
still  to  maintain  honorable  thoughts  of  God,  as  a  Be- 
ing in  himself,  infinitely  glorious  ;  although  he  was 
not  to  look  upon  him  any  longer  as  his  God,  or  a 
good  for  him  to  enjoy.  He  ought  still  to  ascribe 
righteousness  to  his  Maker  ;  and  to  take  blame  to 
himself,  in  a  silent  submission  to  the  sufferings  of 
deserved  punishment.  In  such  instances  as  these, 
Adam  might  be  said  to  be  under  obligations  <^f  duty, 
if  the  word  duty  may  be  applied  to  the  actions  of  a 
rebel,  in  such  a  totally  ruined  state.  And  although 
A<lam's  eating  the  forbidden  fruit  was  a  transient  ac- 
tion ;  yet  it  was  of  such  a  criminal  nature  as  to  fix 
everlasting  blame  upon  him  ;  he  would  have  been  to 
blame,  in  every  moment  of  his  miserable  existence, 
for  not  having  faitlifully  retained  his  original  perfec- 
tion and  blessedness.  No  limited  period  could  ever 
h-ive  worn  ofCfiom  him  the  fault  of  his  apostacy. 

5.  Adam,  by  this  sin,  broke  up  that  union  between 
Ood  and  him,  in  v/hich  he  was  iit  first  created. 
Vv  liilst  he  remained  innocent,  i\\cve  was  a  close  and 
intimate  union  between  God  and  him  ;  and  one  com- 
7Tion,  undivided  interest.  God's  interest  was  the 
glory  of  his  great  name  ;  and  the  interest  of  man  lay 
in  glorifying  and  enjoying  God  :  both  having  one 
common,  undivided  interest.  He  effectually  secured 
his  own  interest,  whilst  he  continued  to  glorify  God. 
His  regard  for  the  divine  glory,  and  for  his  own  hap- 
piness, were  inseparable  in  that  state.  Herein  con- 
sisted his  spiritual  life.  But  when  he  became  guilty, 
this  union  was  broken  up  ;  spiritual  death,  which 
primarily  consists  in  this  breach  of  union  with  God> 
seized  upon  his  soul.  He  was  divided  from  God, 
and  ci;.me  to  have  a  separate  interest.  God's  gloiy 
-required  that  man  should  receive  tlae  punishmeiit 
5 


50 

tiuc  to  his  offence  :  but  man's  de&ire  of  his  ow  h  hap- 
piness must  make  him  desirous  of  escaping  this  pun- 
ishment. Here  then,  God's  glory,  or  man's  happi- 
ness, must  fail.  From  hence  therefore,  enmity  and 
contrariety  between  God  and  man  naturally  takes 
place.  For  man's  well-bcinc:  was  no  longer  consist- 
ent with  the  glory  of  God.  This  contrariety  between 
God  and  man  was  a  natural  consequence  of  the  first 
sin. 

6.  This  breach  of  Union  between  God  and  man, 
made  way  for  the  supreme  love  of  the  creature  to 
grow  and  increase  in  the  heart  of  man.  Being  divi' 
ded  from  God,  and  having  no  more  interest  in  him,  or 
access  to  him,  man  was  left  to  seek  his  own  happi- 
ness where  he  could  find  it.  He  was  not  a  self-suf- 
ficient creature  :  but  he  became  happy  by  the  enjoy- 
ment of  some  suitable  object.  The  happiness  of 
man,  for  which  his  nature  was  first  formed,  and 
which  was  originally  intended  for  him,  consisted  in 
the  enjoyment  of  God.  But  when  he  had  cut  him- 
self off  from  God,  his  desire  of  happiness  led  him  to 
seek  it  in  such  objects  to  which  he  could  have  ac- 
cess. Hence  it  came  to  pass,  that  his  heart  natu-" 
rally  went  out  after  the  creature,  instead  of  God  : 
■which  attachment  to  creature-enjoyments  becomes 
more  fixed  and  streng,  by  daily  exercise,  and  long 
continuance. 

Thus  we  see  by  v.'hat  has  teen  now  said,  how  ru- 
inous and  destructive  the  first  sin  was  to  the  human 
nature  ;  and  what  evil  fruits  and  consequences  natu- 
rally and  necessarily  follow  from  it.  The  things 
which  have  been  mentioned,  are  no  other  than  the 
natural  consequences  of  guilt.  Hereby  the  human 
nature  was  thus  totally  ruined.  But  besides  these 
natural  evil  consequences,  there  is  the  wrath  of  God, 
and  the  execution  of  threatened  punishment  still  due 
to  man  for  sin  ;  which  includes  the  death  of  the  body, 
and  the  suffering  divine  Yengeance  in  the  eternal 
state- 


51 

Hitherto  we  have  considered  the  effects  of  sin  up- 
on Adam  himself.  But  let  us  continue  oui'  view,  an^ 
consider  how  his  posterity  are  affected  with  it.  And 
if  the  sin  of  Adam  is  imputed  to  his  seed,  as  has 
been  shown  ;  it  will  have  a  like  depraving  effect  upon 
them,  as  it  had  upon  him.  It  has  been  thought  by 
some,  a  matter  of  special  difficulty  to  account  for  the 
propagation  of  native  depravity  from  Adam  to  his 
posterity.  But  if  the  imputation  of  his  sin  to  them 
be  allowed,  depravity  of  nature  will  follow  as  a  neces-? 
sary  consequence  For  where  the  gailt  of  sin  takes 
place,  it  divides  the  soul  from  God,  and  shuts  it  out 
from  all  access  to  iiim-  and  communion  with  him. 
Hereby  Adam's  posterity,  considered  merely  in  their 
connexion  with  him,  are  disabled,  and  cut  off  from 
that  dependent,  complacential  resting  of  soul  in  God, 
which  was  such  an  essential  part  of  the  divine  im.- 
age  ;  and  are  left  only  to  the  enjoyment  of  such  de- 
grees of  pleasure  as  creatures  are  able  to  afford 
them,  in  like-manner  as  Adam  was.  Some  delight 
and  complacency  in  creatures,  is  doubtless  consistent 
with  a  state  of  perfection.  It  is  not  to  be  questioned 
but  that  Adam,  in  his  innocent  state,  tasted  a  sweet- 
ness in,  and  was  pleased  with  such  things  as  divine 
goodness  had  provided  for  him  to  eat  and  drink  ;  al- 
though he  was  at  the  same  time  perfect  in  his  lova 
of  God.  And  so  in  our  fallen  state,  our  nature  is  ca- 
pable of  partaking  of  that  pleasure  which  sensible  ob- 
jects are  able  to  afford  us.  But  as  man  in  his  inno* 
cent  state,  was  interested  in  the  favor  of  God,  and 
enjoyed  coramwnion  with  him  ;  therefore  if  he  had 
U'^ly  improved  this  privilege,  his  acquaintance  with 
God  would  have  given  him  such  views  and  tastes  of 
the  divine  glory,  as  would  have  filled  the  heart  with 
the  love  of  God,  and  prevented  the  soul  from  going 
abroad  after  ha|')piness.  And  if  our  first  parents  had 
maintained  their  innocent  stute  tiii  children  had  been 
!)orn  unto  them  ;  these  children  would  have  come 
into  the  world  in  a  state  of  covenant  love,  peace  and 
favor  with  God.     Tiiey  would  have  been  interested 


in,  and  favored  with  theit  communion  with  God,  and 
those  early  manifestations  of  the  divine  fjlory?  hy 
which  their  hearts  would  have  been  possessed  of  tho 
love  of  God,  before  any  creature-enjoyment  had  be- 
come rooted  in  their  affections.  But  when  our  first 
parents  had  cut  themselves  o{T  from  the  love  of  God^ 
and  the  precious  privilege  of  communion  with  him  ; 
^'  Adam  begat  a  son  in  his  own  likeness."  And  as 
his  children  were  born  under  the  guilt  of  his  sin,  by 
which  they  vrere  disabled  for  that  dependent,  com- 
placential  resting  of  soul  in  God,  v/hich  belonged  to 
the  divine  image  ;  and  were  cut  ofr"  from  commun- 
ion with  him,  and  denied  those  early  manifestations 
of  the  divine  glory,  whereby  their  souls  would  have 
been  enlivened  with  the  love  of  God  ;  they  being; 
thus  divided  from  God,  grew  up  in  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  things  of  this  world.  As  soon  as  their 
bodily  faculties  were  capable  of  receiving  im [Ses- 
sions from  sensible  objects,  and  tasting  som.e  degrees 
of  pleasure  in  them  ;  their  hearts  would  naturally  go 
out  after  them,  as  the  things  in  the  enjoy  nient  of  which , 
all  the  happiness  they  knew  of,  did  consist.  Whence 
it  comes  to  pass,  tl'.at  the  things  of  this  world  get 
deeply  rooted  in  their  hearts^  even  before  they  obtain 
any  knowledge  of  God.  The  imputation  of  Adam's 
sin  to  his  posterity,  being  allowed  ;  it  will  be  easy  to 
account  for  all  that  moral  depravity  which  is  thus  be- 
come universal  to  mankind.  For  if  we  come  into 
L?-C  world  under  the  guilt  of  his  sin,  are  thereby  cut 
oiT  from  communion  with  God,  and  denied  thosi' 
manifestations  of  the  divine  glory  which  would  awa^ 
ken  the  love  of  God  in  the  heart  ;  it  will  naturalV 
aiKl  necessarily  follow,  that  we  shall  be  united  in  our 
affections  to  the  enjoyment  of  this  life  :  which  tem- 
per of  mind  is  fitly  styled  enmity  against  God  ;  and 
is  such  a  source  of  sin  as  is  sufiicientto  account  Ibrall 
that  wickedness  which  has  overspread  the  whole  hu- 
man race.  There  is  no  need  to  suppose  any  vicious 
taint,  or  corrupt  principle  infused  in  our  nature,  either 
by  the  righteous  judgement  of  God,  or  by  the  force 


63 

of  natural  generation  ;  for  all  the  sin  and  wickednesf, 
of  mankind  will  follow  merely  from  the  imputaiion  of 
Adam's  first  sin  to  his  posterity.  Whut  we  receive 
in  the  course  of  natural  generation,  is  a  natural  ex- 
istence ;  or  the  powers  and  faculties  which  belong  to 
our  nature,  by  which  we  become  beings  capable  to 
put  forth  natural,  rational  and  moral  exercises.  And 
if  what  wc  receive  in  a  course  of  n.itural  generation, 
are  only  those  naturalfaculties  which  render  us  capa- 
ble of  moral  agency  ;  then  we  shall  be  denominated 
holy,  or  sinful,  according  to  the  nature  of  such  moral 
exercises  as  we  put  forth.  If  from  the  beginning*, 
we  were  favored  with  communion  with  God,  and  prop- 
er manifestations  of  his  glory  to  our  souls,  those  nat- 
ural faculties  which  render  us  capable  of  moral  agen- 
cy, would  naturally  put  forth  such  moral  exercises  as 
would  be  agreeable  to  the  perfections  of  God  :  but  be- 
ing shut  out  from  communion  with  him  by  the  guik 
of  siji,  our  natural  faculties,  of  course,  fall  under  the 
influence  of  sensible  objects  ;  and  will  therefore  put 
forth  such  exercises  as  are  unholy  and  sinful.  And 
as  we  thus  come  into  the  world  under  the  imputation 
of  Adam's  first  sin,  as  a  consequence  of  which,  we 
arc  destitute  of  the  divine  image,  and  under  the  pre- 
vailing influence  of  the  things  of  this  world  ;  there- 
fore we  have  reason  to  confess  with  David,  "  1  was 
shapen  in  iniquity  ;  and  in  sin  did  my  mother  con- 
ceive me."  And  as  our  natural  desire  of  happiness, 
which  is  a  very  strorig  and  active  passion,  has  nothing 
to  feed  upon  but  the  creature,  it  will  cause  us,  "  To 
drink  in  iniquity  like  water."  Our  natural  thirst  af- 
ter happiness  would  not  be  sinfuU  provided  we  suita- 
bly sought  after  the  gratification  of  it  in  the  glori- 
fication and  enjoyment  of  God  :  but  when  the  soul  is 
turned  away  from  him,  and  this  thirst  runs  out  after 
the  enjoyment  of  creatures,  it  becomes  sinful.;  it  is 
the  source  of  all  that  sin  and  wickedncvSS  which  ap- 
pears in  our  lives  ;  and  is  that  tern jTer  of  mind  which 
the  apostle  justly  styles  **  enmity  against  God." 


54 

Some  win  say,  It  the  imputauon  of  sin  will  have 
such  a  depraving  inftuence  on  the  nature  of  him  to 
whom  it  is  imputed  ;  why  then  had  it  not  this  effect 
upon  the  Son  of  God,  ivken  the  Lord  laid  on  him  the 
iniquity  of  us  all  ?  I  answer.  The  case  with  Adam's 
seed  was  widely  different  from  that  of  the  Son  of 
God.  The  sin  of  Adam  was  laid  upon  his  natural 
seed  by  the  first  covenant  ;  which  afforded  them  no 
room  for  exercising  any  dependence  on  God,  in  their 
guilty  state  ;  but  they  were,  according  to  the  tenor 
of  that  dispensation,  totally,  and  forever  cut  off  from 
God,  and  abandoned  to  despair.  But  it  was  in  the 
second  covenant,  the  covenant  of  redemption,  that 
the  Lord  laid  on  him  tLe  iniquity  of  us  all  ;  wherein 
it  was  stipulated,  that  the  Son  should  give,  and  the 
Father  accept  of  an  atonement  for  sin.  The  Son 
therefore,  notwithstanding  our  iniquities  were  laid 
upon  him,  could  exercise  faith  in  and  dependence 
upon  God,  through  the  atonement,  by  himself  in  duG 
time  to  be  made.  Our  mighty  Redeemer  was  a  be- 
liever  ;  he  stood  by  faith  ;  by  faith,  he  wrought  out 
salvation  ;  and  by  faith  he  obtained  the  victory.  The 
imputation  of  Adam's  sin  to  his  posterity,  in  the  first 
covenant,  must  necessarily  deprave  them  ;  because 
through  guilt,  they  were  disabled  for,  and  cut  off 
from  exercising  that  dependence  on  God,  which  was 
an  essential  property  of  the  divine  image  in  which 
the  human  nature  was  first  formed.  But  v/hen  the 
sin  of  man  was  laid  on  Christ  in  the  second  covenant, 
by  virtue  of  faith  in  God  through  the  atonement,  he 
was  still  able  to  preserve,  maintain  and  exercise  all 
the  properties,  of  the  divine  image  on  the  soul,  in 
like  manner  as  we  are  now  restored  to  an  ability  for 
these  exercises,  by  faith  in  the  Mediator. 

By  the  way  ;  we  may  here  see  the  excellence  and 
importance  of  true  faith.  Christ  stood  by  faith  ;  and 
by  it  wrought  out  salvation  for  us.  And  we  have 
the  same  foundation  to  stand  upon  that  he  had  ;  and 
must  obtain  the  victory  in  the  same  way  that  he  did. 
When  tiie  Son  of  God  took  our  nature  on  him,  he 


55 

embarked  upon  the  same  bottom  with  fallen  man  ; 
either  to  perish  with  themj  (if  I  may  so  speak)  or  to 
bring  them  off  victorious  with  liimself.  i'hc  atone- 
ment of  his  own  blood  was  the  foundation  on  which  his 
faith  rested  ;  and  that  is  as  free,  and  as  sufficient  for 
us,  as  it  was  for  him.  And  to  strengthen  our  faith 
in  God  through  this  atonement,  we  have  the  virtue^ 
efficacy  and  sufficiency  of  it  illustrated  to  us,  in  that 
victory  which  Christ  thereby  obtained  over  death  and 
the  grave.  Heb.  xiii,  20.  "  Now  the  God  of  peace 
that  brought  again  from  the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus, 
that  great  shepherd  of  the  sheep,  through  the  blood 
of  the  everlasting  covenant."  I  am  sensible  that 
good  expositors  connect  that  expression,  "  through, 
the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,"  with  the  next 
sentence,  "  Make  you  perfect,"  &c.  But  they 
may  be  taken  in  connexion  with  the  preceding  sen- 
tence with  as  much,  yea,  more  propriety.  But  to  re- 
turn : 

Hitherto  we  have  considered  the  effect  of  the  apos^ 
tacy  on  the  human  race,  without  any  reference  lo 
the  relief  provided  in  the  nevr  covenant.  And  from 
this  view  of  the  case  and  state  into  vv'hich  Adam 
brought  himself,  and  his  posterity,  by  the  breach  of 
the  first  covenant  ;  we  may  see  wherein  the  spiritual 
deat/i^  the  ?7iGral  dc/waviii/y  or  im/iotericy  oi  mankind 
consists.  That  mankind  are  naturally  without  strength 
and  labor  under  an  inability  of  some  kind  or  other, 
is  a  truth  very  manifest  :  but  wherein  this  impotcncy 
consists,  is  a  point  in  which  we  are  not  so  well  agreed. 
Some  suppose  they  have  sufficiently  described  it,  by 
calling  it  ?norol  iuadiliiy^  in  distinction  from  natural 
inability.  And  this  moral  inability,  they  say,  consists 
in  the  will ;  that  man  is  unable  to  yield  due  obedi- 
ence, because  he  is  uwivilling.  But  this  is  far  from 
being  a  just  representation  of  the  case.  From  the 
preceding  observations  on  the  original  apostacy,  it 
appears  that  several  things  must  be  taken  into  the 
account,  that  we  may  give  a  just  representation  of  it. 
Indeed,  this  >vant  of  ability  for  the  performance  of 


56 

our  duty,  is  not  natural  inability  :  that  is,  the  natura! 
powers  and  faculties  which  man  is  possessed  of,  are 
sufficient  for  the  performance  of  the  whole  cf  his 
duty.  But  this  impotency  may,  in  a  proper  sense 
be  called  moral  iirabiliiy  ;  tliough  it  consists  riot 
merely  in  the  want  ot  a  will.  There  are  some  prop- 
erties of  it  distinct  from  and  quite  independent  on 
the  present  slate  of  the  will. 

1.  The  loss  of  the  image  of  God  in  which  man 
v.as  at  first  made,  rendered  him  spiritually  dead,  or 
vin  ible  lo  yield  required  obedience.  The  general  na- 
ture of  that  obedience  to  the  w^il  of  God  which  was 
man's  duty,  I  have  shown  to  consist  in  those  exercise* 
of  soul  by  which  man  was  to  exhibit  his  likeness  to 
God,  in  the  several  actions  of  life.  But  it  appears, 
that  as  soo:i  as  the  guilt  of  sin  look  place,  this  con- 
formity to  God  ceased.  It  rr>  cut  man  off  from  God, 
that  although  he  was  never  so  Tvillir.g  and  desirous  to 
have  God  for  the  foundation  of  hi^  hope  am*  depen- 
dence, and  the  enjoyment  of  him  as  his  all-satisfying 
portion  ;  yet  he  could  not,  because  this  interest  in 
God  was  irrecoverably  forfeited.  He  could  now 
have  no  dependence  on  God,  nor  any  enjoyment  of 
him.  And  so  in  all  other  respects,  by  ijecoming 
guilty,  he  divested  himself  of  the  divine  image.  And 
as  the  general  nature  of  that  obedience  Vvhich  was 
God's  due,  and  man's  duty  consisted  in  exercising 
and  manifesting  this  conformity  to  Goc  ;  therefore, 
the  divine  image  being  lost,  there  remained  no  abili- 
ty in  man  to  make  a  true  manifestation  of  it. 

2.  Fallen  m.an  has  lost  his  ability,  in  that  he  hath 
put  himself  out  of  the  reach  of  the  proper  influence 
of  motives.  Man  was  made  to  be  influenced  by  mo- 
tives. This  is  evident,  because  his  IVJ^iker  did  pro- 
\K)se  to  govern  him  by  motives.  This  appears  by  hi& 
setting  life  and  death  before  him.  But  as  soon  aB 
man  had  sinned,  the  motives  to  obedience  lost  their 
influence  upon  him.  Promises  could  no  longer  influ- 
ence him  ;  because  the  promised  blessings  were  irrc- 


57 

coverably  lost.  Threatening^*  coultl  no  longer  take 
their  full  hold  upon  him,  for  it  is  too  late  to  deter  a 
man  from  sin,  by  threatening  him  with  deatli,  after 
he  is  already  condemned  to  it  ;  because  despair  takes 
off  their  influence.  And  as  man  had  thus  removed 
himself  from  under  the  proper  influence  ofmoiives, 
it  is  evident  that  he  wanted  those  springs  of  action, 
for  yicldin|2;  obedience  to  the  will  of  God  which  were 
suitable  and  necessary  to  furnish  him  for  his  duty. 

3.  Fallen  man  became  unable  to  serve  God,  be- 
cause be  was  excluded  from  it  by  the  eondemnin.er 
sentence  of  the  law  which  he  had  broken.  By  reason 
of  his  forfeiture,  the  penalty  of  the  law  cut  him  oft' 
from  God.  And  as  the  service  of  God  principally 
consisted  in  exercising  hope,  trust,'  dependence,  and 
such  like  exercises  which  are  predicated  upon,  and 
suppose  interest  in  him,  therefore  the  condemnhig- 
sentence  of  the  broken  lav/,  lay  in  man's  way,  as  an 
insuperable  obstruciion  to  his  performing  that  service, 
or  duty  which  was  originally  required  of  him  :  This, 
impediment  lay  before  fallen  man,  independent  on- 
the  present  state  of  his  will.  To  say  therefore  that 
fallen  man  was  unable  to  perform  required  obedience 
enly  because  he  was  unwilling,  is  far,  very  far  from 
being  a  full  representation  of  the  case. 

4.  Another  reason  of  the  inability  of  man  for  the 
service  of  God,  is  tlie  prepossession  of  his  heart  in 
iavcr  of  creature-enjoymenis.  As  we  come  into  the 
world  under  tlie  guiit  of  the  original  apostacy,  and 
arc  therefore  excluded  from  communion  with  God  ; 
it  comes  to  pass  that  crealure-enjoyments  get  posses- 
sion of  our  hearts  in  the  early  part  of  cur  life.  And 
as  we  groM'  up  in  acquaintance  with  these  things, 
they  get  deeply  rooted  in  cur  allections  before  we 
obtain  any  kno\vledge  of  God,  or  that  there  is  any 
thing  better  than  the  creature  to  be  enjoyed.  And 
by  re^ton  of  this  habitual  attachment  to  the  things  of 
lliis  world,  which  we  coiitract  by  use  and  custom,  it 
is  exceeding  difficult  to  reitiove  our  heart  from  the 
love  of  the  world,  to  the  Jove  of  God*     And  no  small 


pan  of  the  inability  of  man  for  the  service  of  God, 
lies  in  this  prepossession  and  attachment  of  heart  to 
creatures.  Tliis  is  that  which  is  more  frequently 
spoken  of  as  the  cause  of  our  rebellion.  It  is  that 
carnal  mind  which  is  so  justly  styled  ciimitij  atjainst 
God.  And  it  is  this  triendship  for  the  world  that 
makes  us  the  enemies  of  God.  To  this  it  is  the 
prophet  refers,  as  the  reason  why  we  cannot  do  good. 
Jer.  xiii.  23.  "  Can  the  Ethiopian  change  his  skin,  or 
the  leopard  his  spots  I  Then  may  ye  also  do  good, 
thjt  are  accustomed  to  do  evil."  This  also  is  one 
reason  why  the  apostle  speaks  of  us  as  dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins.  And  it  is  in  this  respect  thr.t  our 
present  inability  to  obey,  consists  very  much  in  our 
"will.  This  carnal  mind  is  voluntary  and  chosen. 
The  gaining  of  the  will  for  God,  would  very  much 
remove  our  inability  in  this  respect,  for  the  service  ot 
God. 

5.  I  may  further  add  :  the  reason  why  the  inability 
©F  our  fallen  state  abides  upon  us,  is  the  unbelief  of 
our  hearts  in  divine  revelation.  The  introduction  of 
the  new  covenant  by  the  mediation  of  Christ,  has 
opened  a  way  of  access  to  God  for  us  in  our  guilty 
state  ;  and  a  sure  foundation  is  thereby  laid  for  re- 
covering our  forfeited  interest  in  God,  and  of  conse- 
quence, for  the  exercise  of  all  christian  graces  to^ 
wiu^ds  him  wherein  the  divine  image  consists  ;  ior 
exercising  that  hope,  trust,  dependence,  complacen- 
cy and  delight  in  God,  which  the  penalty  of  the  bro- 
ken law  had  cut  us  off  from  :  that  the  image  of  GocI 
in  all  its  parts,  might  be  again  restored  to  the  soul. 
And  a  hearty  belief  of  these  gospel-truths  would  have 
a  great  influence  in  restoring  the  soul  to  a  capacity 
for  this  service  of  God.  But  till  faith  in  God  through 
the  Redeemer  takes  place  in  our  hearts,  this  inability 
ior  the  service  of  God,  which  is  brought  upon  us  by 
the  fall,  will  abide  in  us. 

I  have  saiJ,  the  disfranchisement  laid  upon  man. 
for  the  breach  of  the  first  covenant,  is  taken  off  by 
the  introduction  of  the  second.    That  is,  there  is  a  way 


59 

Opened  by  the  IVIecliator  for  us  to  return  to  God,  and  re- 
cover our  Ibrfeiled  interest  in  him ;  and  ot"cont;equence, 
all  the  right  exercises  of  soul  towards  him.  Hut  then, 
the  soul  must  see  and  believe  this  new  and  living  way 
consecrated  by  Christ,  before  it  will  feel  itself  enlar- 
ged, or  discover  any  possibility  of  ccniidence  towards 
God  in  its  guilty  state .  When  under  awakenings  and 
convictiuns,  natural  conscience  shows  the  sinner  the 
sanction  of  the  law  which  he  hath  broken,  excluding 
him  from  all  interest  in  Gcd,  and  cutting  him  off 
from  all  confidence  towards  him.  And  the  soul, 
while  under  these  riews  cnly,  can  exercise  no  depen- 
dence upon  God,  sees  uli  interest  in  him  forfeited, 
and  can  place  no  hope,  nor  put  any  trust  in  him  for 
the  bestowmcnt  of  any  favor,  till  the  saving  fulness  of 
the  Mediator,  and  the  riches  and  sovereign  fieedoni 
of  the  grace  of  God  through  him  to  the  guilty,  come 
into  view.  So  that  although  the  disfranchisement  is 
removed  in  law  ;  yet  the  soul  doth  not  actually  par- 
take of,  or  possess  that  liberty  wherewith  Christ 
makes  it  free,  till  the  glory  of  the  Mediator  com.es 
into  view,  and  the  soul  is  suitably  afrected  and  influ- 
enced by  the  new  covenant.  For  it  is  plain  that  guil- 
ty creatures  can  have  no  real  or  true  confidence  to- 
wards God,  nor  any  hope  or  trust  in  him,  but  what 
must  be  predicated  -upon  a  Mediator.  And  there- 
fore that  inability  which  was  brought  upon  us  by  the 
fall,  will  abide  in  us  till  it  is  removed  by  faith  ia 
Christ  ;  that  is,  by  the  effectual  operation  of  the  new 
covenant  on  the  heart. 

Still,  it  may  be  inquired  wherein  the  inability  of 
the  sinner  to  believe  in  Christ  doth  consist  I 

To  this  1  answer.  We  cannot  believe  the  truth 
of  any  report,  till  we  see  reason  for  it  ;  that  is,  tili 
we  see  sufiicicnt  evidence  to  confirm  the  truth  of  it. 
And  a  divine  faith  must  rest  upon  a  divine  testimony. 
When, the  soul  discovers  that  God  hath  borne  wit- 
ness to  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  it  will  immediately  give 
credit  to  the  gospel.  And  although  human  reason 
may  collect  sufficient  evidence  to  prove  the  tiuth  •f 


Co 

the  gospel ;  yet  an  awakened  conscience  will  not  be 
satisfied,  nor  be  brought  to  rest  upon  the  promises 
without  divine  illumination  or  teaching.  John  vi.  44. 
'*  No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the  Father  who 
hath  sent  me,  draw  him."  But  when  the  divine 
spirit  teacheth,  the  soul  will  so  learn  as  to  come  to 
the  Son.  John  vi.  45.  "  Evei*y  man  therefore  that 
hath  hcarJ,  and  hath  learned  of  the  Father,  cometh 
unto  me." 

Here  is  the  impotency  of  oui'  fidlcn  state,  of  which 
we  can  Jiavc  very  clear  and  distinct  ideas,  without  be- 
ing perplexed  with  those  abstruse  speculations  and 
meUipliysical  distinctions  between  nedural  and  moral 
ir.abilily,  which  many  divines  make  use  of  in  treating 
of  moral  impotency.  The  soul  finds  itself  utterly 
unable  to  exercise  any  hope  in,  or  confidence  towards 
God  ;  unable  to  exercise  complacency,  or  to  take  up 
its  rest  in  God,  as  his  God,  b.is  satisfying  good  and 
portion,  till  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ  shines  in  upon  it.  Herein  we  see  total  inabil- 
ity in  the  sinner  with  respect  to  ail  holy  exercises 
towards  God,  very  dillcrcnt  in  some  respects  from 
mere  un-tviUingjiess. 

And  tluit  fanious  dispute  about  a  self-determining- 
power  in  the  ivill.,  may  be  wholly  set  atide,  and  left 
to  the  philosophers  to  determine  as  they  please, 
while  the  religion  of  the  gospel  remains  unconcerned 
with  it. 

Attention  to  tlicse  awful  effects  of  sin  upon  our  na- 
ture, will  lead  us  to  see  something  of  the  evil  nature 
of  it,  how  hateful  it  is  in  its  ov/n  nature,  and  how  ru- 
inous to  the  soul..  The  la»v  of  God,  tlxrefore,  is 
good,  as  well  as  holy  and  just,  in  its  forbidding  all  sin. 
It  aims  at  our  good,  as  well  as  the  glory  of  God.  in 
every  J.  instance  in  which  we  choose  sin,  we  forsake 
our  own  mercies.  It  is  what,  in  its  own  nature, 
brings  total  ruin  upon  tlie  soul.  Although  it  was  a 
very  gracious  covenant  that  God  made  with  man, 
whereby  he  was  put  into  much  better  circumstances 
iban  he  would  have  been,  if  God  had  left  him  to  stand 


61 

Uijclei"  the  law  oi"  his  creation  ;  in  tYiuch  "less  dan?>;er 
of  tailing  into  sin  ;  and  hdd  peculiar  adviuituj^-es  of  ob- 
taining very  great  and  valuable  privileges  which  could 
not  have  been  obtiuned  without  such  a  covenant  ;  yet 
We  see  man  soon  ruined  himself.  And  hereby  v.'e 
see  something  of  the  dependent  nature  of  a  creature^ 
how  exceilenti  or  how  perfect  soever  he  is  made.  A 
creature  is  of  a  finite,  limited,  mutable  nature  ;  and 
its  effectual  security  is  therefore  not  in  itself,  but  in 
God.  And  it  is  a  natural  transition,  for  our  minds  to 
be  hereby  led  to  a  view  of  the  transcendent  goodness 
of  God,  expressed  to  fallen  man  in  providini^  such  a 
glorious  new  covenant  head,  who  partakes  of  an  un- 
changeable nature,  which  aiTcided  infallible  security 
of  success  in  accoaiplisning  the  probation  eissigned 
him  in  the  new  covenant,  for  the  recovery  and  salva- 
tion of  the  children  of  men.  An  attentive  view  of 
the  ruins  of  our  fallen  state  discovers  our  perishing 
need  of  help  from  the  rich  and  sovereign  grace  of 
God.  Man  was  lost  beyond  all  possibility  of  deliver- 
ing himself ;  could  lay  no  claim  to  any  help  from 
God  ;  and  is  therefore  infinitely  indebted  to  tiic 
boundless  riches  of  divine  grace,  in  laying  help  upon 
one  that  is  mighty  to  save,  one  able  to  save  to  the  ut- 
termost, all  that  come  to  God  by  him. 


62 


THE  RECOVERY  OF  iMAN  BY  JESUS 
CHRIST. 

In  the  preceding  part  "vvc  have  been  entertained 
witii  a  melancholy  view  of  the  ruin  of  our  nature  by 
the  apostacy  of  our  first  parents.  But  we  come  now 
to  take  a  view  of  the  bright  side  of  our  subject,  and  to 
turn  our  thoughts  upon  the  glorious  discoveries  of 
redeeming  grace,  manifested  to  us  by  God*s  sending 
his  Son  to  save  sinners.  Known  unto  God  are  ail 
his  works.  The  fall  of  Adam  was  foreseen  before 
the  foundation  of  the  world  ;  and  the  plan  was  laid 
in  the  eternal  counsels  of  the  divine  mind,  for  the 
redemption  of  fallen  man  by  the  mediation  of  the 
Son  of  God  ;  who  in  due  time  was  to  take  our  na- 
ture on  him,  become  man,  and  perform  that  work  by 
which  he  might  be  the  author  of  eternal  redemption 
to  all  them  that  obey  him.  And  although  the  real 
appearance  of  the  Son  of  God  amongst  men,  and  his 
actual  performance  of  the  v/ork  of  redemption,  Avas 
not  till  many  years  after  the  fall  ;  yet  his  mediation 
took  place  before  his  incarnation  ;  and,  in  the  accept- 
ance of  God,  he  was  "  The  Lamb  slain  from  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world."  For  when  God  came  to  our 
first  parents  after  the  fall,  and  had  convicted  them  of 
their  breach  of  covenant  ;  he  thereupon  revealed  to 
them  the  covenant  of  grace,  in  the  promise  of  the 
seed  of  the  woman  that  should  bruise  the  serpent's 
head.  Then  it  was,  that  the  covenant  of  grace  was 
introduced,  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  was  set  up, 
and  the  influence  of  his  mediation  took  place  be- 
tween God  and  man,  as  the  foundation  of  all  his  sub- 
sequent dealings  with  them.  And  for  a  distinct  view 
«f  these  important  matters,  I  shall  divide  my  subject 
into  the  following  heads  : 

I.  I  shall  represent  the  true  character  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  this  new  dispensation  is 
brQught  in. 


63 

^  !I.  Take  a  general  view  of  this  dispensation  which 
is  brought  in  by  the  Son  ol"  God. 

III.  Inquire  into  the  state  of  mankind  under  tbis 
dispensation,  and  the  tenor  of  God's  various  deal- 
ings with  them. 

I.  The  character  of  this  glorious  person,  the  Son 
of  God,  who  hath  brought  in  this  new  dispensation, 
is  first  to  be  attended  to. 

This  wonderful  person  who  appeared  for  the  im- 
portant purpose  of  sustaining  the  sinking  v/orld  is 
Lmjianuel,  God  ina7iifest  in  ihe  Jiesh.  The  fall  of 
man  has  perhaps  been  the  occasion  of  revealing  in  a 
more'  clear  light,  the  great  mystery  of  a  Trinity  in 
the  God-head,  who  are  distinguished  by  the  personal 
appellations  of  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost. 
it  is  the  second  person  in  the  Trinity,  the  Son,  who 
came  into  the  world,  took  our  nature  on  him,  and  is 
truly  God  and  man,  in  two  distinct  natures  and  one 
person  ;  who  has  brought  in  the  dispensation  of  re- 
deeming grace  for  a  lost  world.  Many  questions 
both  curious  and  important,  might  be  moved  con- 
cerning these  gospel-doctrines  of  a  Trinity  in  the 
God-head,  and  the  incarnation  of  the  Son  ;  all  which 
1  purposely  pass  by,  and  take  this  character  of  the 
iSon  of  God  as  it  is  clearly  revealed  in  the  gospel, 
which  is  sufficient  for  us  to  know,  that  v/e  may  form 
iu3t  thoughts  of  the  present  divine  constitution  under 
wiiich  we  stand  probationers  for  the  rewards  or  pun- 
ishments of  the  eternal  state. 

The  two  natures  in  the  person  of  the  Son  render 
him  a  meet  person  for  the  work  upon  which  he  came 
into  the  world.  The  human  nature  was  necessary, 
that  he  might  be  under  the  law,  might  fulfil  all  right- 
eousness, and  might  suffer  the  death  due  for  sin. 
And  the  divine  nature  was  necessary  to  prevent  his 
sinking  under  the  weight  of  his  sufferings,  and  to 
render  his  obedience  and  sufferings  truly  meritori- 
ous. No  one  that  Avas  less  than  divine,  was  able  to 
alone  for  sin,  to  overcome  death,   to  ascend  in:o  the 


64 

heiwens,  to  exercise  all  power  irt  heavcQ  and  o« 
cartl),  lo  judy,c  the  world,  ur.d  lo  distribute  rewards 
and   Diuiishmeius  to  every  one  according  to  their 

Pa^iiy  things  were  necessary  for  tlie  Son  of  God  to 
perforn)  in  his  prosecuting  this  great  work  ;  and 
tnany  and  v^uious  were  the  blessings  to  flow  there- 
frcri)  to  the  ci.ildren  of  men.  And  that  this  all-sutn- 
cicncy  and  compitte  fulness  of  our  Almighty  Savior 
mighc  be  represeiited  to  us  in  a  clear  and  plain  liglit, 
he  h  descriued  in  the  gospel  as  Leing  vested  with, 
ai^Ji  executing  various  oifices  for  us  ;  the  right  un- 
derstanding of  which  is  necessary  to  the  saving 
knowledge  of  :um. 

The  first  character  under  which  I  shall  consider 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  that  of  a  covenant-head. 
Tl  e  heddship  of  Christ  is  often  mentioned,  and  va- 
riously represented  ;  sometimes  in  a  more  exten- 
sive, and  sometimes  in  a  more  limited  sense. 

He  is  sorrxetimes  represented  as  the  head  of  his 
spiritual  body,  or  of  real  shunts.  Thus  is  he  spoken 
of  in  Coi.  ii.  19,  where  the  apostle  speaks  of  men  of 
corrupt  minds,  as  "  Not  holding  the  head,  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  from  which  all  the  body  by  joints  and 
bands,  having  nourishment  ministered,  and  knit  to- 
gfctlier,  increasetb  with  the  increase  of  God." 

1'his  he-dship  of  Christ  is  also  sometimes  repre- 
sented in  a  more  extensive  sense,  or  expressive  of 
his  reldtion  to  the  whole  visible  church.  Col.  i.  IS^ 
'*  He  is  t'-.e  head.of  the  body,  the  Church." 

This  headship  of  Christ  is  also  represented  still 
mere  extensive,  and  expresseth  his  relation  to  tho 
whole  human  race.  Hence,  he  \s  styled  the  second 
Adam.  As  Adam  stood  in  a  covenant-relation  to  all 
his  seed  ;  so  also  is  Christ,  in  some  sense,  related  to 
and  stands  in  tiie  relation  of  a  covenant-iiead  to  all 
mankind,  as  vAW  more  fully  appear  in  the  sequel. 

Christ  susto'ins  the  relation  of  a  liead  to  both  an- 
gels and  men.  Epli.i.  10.  "  That  in  the  dispensa- 
.ticn  of  tl-c  fulness  of  time,  he  might  gather  together 


06 

■h  t-ne,  nil  tliinr^s  in  ChrisU  both  which  arc  in  heaven^ 
and  A\  hich  are  on  earth. 

Headship  is  also  sometimes  ascribed  to  Christ 
with  respect  to  the  whole  creation.  This  is,  in  part? 
llie  import  of  that  lofty  character  which  the  apostle 
gives  him  in  Col.  i.  15,  16,  17.  "  WIio  is  the  image 
of  the  invisiole  God,  the  first-born  of  every  creature  : 
for  by  him  were  all  thiny;s  created  that  are  in  heaven, 
and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  uhethcr 
they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principalities,  or 
powers  :  all  things  were  created  by  him,  and  for  him. 
And  he  is  l)efore  all  things,  and  ^  him  all  things 
consist."  The  title  and  privileges  of  tlie  first-born 
are  headship  and  dominion  ;  and  in  these  respects 
Chiist  ij  the  first-born  of  every  creature. 

Thus  then  we  see,  that  Christ  is  represented  as  the 
head  of  various  and  very  ditterent  bodies.  And  as 
Christ  stands  in  the  relation  of  a  head  to  such  difler- 
cnt  bodies  ;  there  must  l3C  a  proportionable  differ- 
ence in  the  relation  itself,  althou^>-h  expressed  by  tiic 
same  title  :  and  there  is  a  proportionable  difference 
in  the. privileges  which  these  different  bodies  receive 
from  their  he.id.  Thus,  when  Christ  is  spoken  of  as 
tlie  head  of  his  body,  the  church,  it  is  a  headship  in  a 
different  respect  from  what  is  intended  when  he  is 
represented  as  the  heud  of  the  whole  human  race, 
and  very  different  privileges  are  connected  with  it. 

Another  character  under  which  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  spoken  of,  is  ihwt  o^  a  Redec7ner.  A  Re* 
deemer  is  one  thdt  pays  the  price  by  which  freedom 
i-i  obtained  for  one  that  is  captivated  or  enslaved. 
Thus,  Christ  redeems  us  from  under  the  curse,  with 
the  price  cf  his ov/n  blood.  Andanother  title  by  which 
he  is  spoken  oi,  nearly  of  the  same  import,  is  that  of 
a  Savior.  This  is  the  title  by  which  he  is  most 
commonly  ppoken  of,  in  the  New  Testament,  and  is 
the  proper  signiiication  of  his  Hebrew  name  Jesus. 
Mutt,  i  21.  "  Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  for  he 
shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins."  And  the  sal- 
vation that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  author  of  is  very  great. 
6  * 


66 

and  includes  a  great  variety  of  blessings  ;  ancl  all 
iTicinkind  share  in  them,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree, 
as  I  shall  shew  hereafter  ;  for  which  cause  he  is  styl- 
ed "The  Savior  of  all  men  J  especially  of  them  that 
believe."     I.  Tim.  iv.  10. 

Another  important  character  by  which  Christ  i;i 
described,  is  that  of  a  Mediator.  I.  Tim.  ii.  5. 
"  There  is  one  God,  and  one  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus  "  A  Mediator  is  one 
that  steps  between  two  that  are  at  variance,  to  heal 
the  breach,  and  make  peace  between  them.  This  is 
the  most  significa»|;  and  important  character  by  v/hich 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  described  to  us  in  the  gos- 
pel. Sin  has  made  a  wide  breach  between  God  and 
man  ;  and  the  whole  world  must  have  sunk  into  ru- 
in, had  it  not  been  for  this  glorious  Mediator.  And 
that  we  may  have  a  just  representation  of  Christ  in 
his  mediatorial  character,  v/e  must  attend  to  the  sev- 
eral offices  which  he  executes  in  the  performance  of 
his  mediatorial  work  ;  which  are  Prophet,  Priest, 
Surety,  Intercessor,  Advocate  and  King. 

The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  mediating  between  God 
and  us,  executes  the  office  of  a  prophet,  in  revealing 
to  us  by  his  word  and  spirit,  the  will  of  God  for  our 
salvation.  He  is  the  great  prophet  of  his  church, 
r/ho  by  his  spirit  inspired  the  prophets  under  the 
Old  Testament  ;  and  under  the  gospel-dispensation 
hatlf  given  gifts  unto  men.  All  divine  revelation 
comes  from  him. 

Christ  mediates  between  God  and  man  by  execu- 
ting the  office  of  a  priest.  He  is  the  great  high- 
p'iest  of  our  profession,  who,  in  the  execution  of  this 
office,  has  offered  up  himself  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins 
of  his  people,  in  his  shedding  his  blood,  and  laying- 
down  iiis  life  upon  the  cross  ;  and  in  pursuit  of  this 
design,  is  passed  into  the  heavens,  now  to  appear  in 
the  presence  of  God  for  us. 

Christ  acted  as  a  Mediator  when  he  became  a  sure- 
ty for  us  Heb.  vii.  22.  "  By  so  much  was  Jesus 
m^de  a  surety  of  a  better  testament."     A  surety  sig^ 


0/ 

uifies  much  the  same  as  u  bondsman.  Many  jand 
great  arc  the  demands  v/hich  divlno  justice  has  upon 
us  ;  for  all  which,  Christ  becvomcs  our  surety. 
Some  suppose  this  ofilcc  ol  a  surety  is  included  in 
his  priestly  office,  as  they  do  also  his  intercession. 
For  the  apostle  is  representing  his  priesthood  when 
he  observes,  Heb.  vii.  25,  "  'i"hat  he  ever  livetii 'to 
make  intercession  for  them.''  It  is  the  part  of  an 
intercessor  to  mtake  request  for  the  beslowment  of 
free  favors.  And  in  this  respect  an  intercessor  dif- 
fers from  an  advocate,  whose  business  it  is  to  defend 
and  plead  the  cause  of  another.  I.  John  ii.  1.  "If 
any  man  sin,  we  have  an  advocate  with  tiie  Father, 
Jesus  Christ  the  righteous."  And  it  is  in  coniidence- 
of  this,  that  the  apostle  makes  that  challenj^e  in  Rom. 
viii.  34.  <•  Who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?  It  is  Christ 
that  died.'* 

The  last  oQice  that  I  shall  mention  which  Christ 
is  said  to  execute,  is  that  of  a  King.  Revel,  xix.  1 6. 
"  And  he  hath  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a 
name  written,  Lord  of  Lords-,  and  King  Cif  KivgsP* 
It  has  been  the  general  custom  of  christian  writers, 
to  include  the  kingly  ofiice  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
in  his  mediatorial  character.  But  when  we  consider 
that  it  is  the  business  of  a  mediator  to  stand  between 
two  that  are  at  variance,  that  he  may  reconcile  ihem  ; 
there  scarcely  appears  room  in  such  a  character  to 
include  the  idea  of  kingly  dignity  and  authority. 
And  the  province  in  which  our  Lord  had  to  act  in  the 
exercise  of  his  kingly  office,  is  very  distinct  from  all 
the  other  parts  of  that  work  which  he  had  to  perform. 
And  besides,  the  honor  and  dignity  which  belongs 
to  this  office,  is  represented  as  a  reward  bestowed 
upon  him  for  his  service  and  abasement,  rather  than 
as  a  part  of  his  work.  This  is  the  light  in  which  the 
apostle  sets  it  in  Philip,  ii.  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  11.  "  Who 
being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to 
be  equal  with  God:  but  made  himself  of  no  reputa- 
tion, and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant, 
and   was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men  :    and  beine- 


#>■ 


68 

rouiKl  in  r.\sl>ion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and 
hecaiT.c  obcdieiu  unlo  death,  even  the  death  of  the 
cross,  irherrforc  (iod  ulso  hat'ii  highly  cxaUedhim, 
and  j^ivcn  him  a  mime  v/hich  is  above  every  name  : 
that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of 
things  in  licaven,  and  things  on  earth,  and  tilings  un- 
der the  earth  ;  luui  tliat  every  tongue  should  confess, 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father." 

Butalthous^^h  tlus  kingly  oiTice  v/ith  the  glory  and 
dignity  of  it  w.s  corferrcd  upon  cur  Lord,  as  a  re- 
ward for  his  suflerings,  yet  it  was  an  ofike  which  was 
necessary  to  con-^plele  his  character  ;  and  the  design 
wliich  he  came  iiilo  the  v/orld  upon,  could  not  be 
finally  executed  without  his  being  vested  with,  rmd 
executing  this  liigh  oiiice  and  autliorify.  For  altho' 
it  belongs  to  a  nicdiiitor  to  persuade  and  intreat,  yet 
k  is.  also  evi<!ently  fitting  that  Christ,  in  his  treating 
with  us,  should  command  and  enjoin  our  duty  upon 
us.  And  he  is  hereby  rendered  u  more  proper  and 
coitiplete  object  of  our  faith,  and  a  most  sidtable  per- 
son with  whom  to  tf'ust  our  everlasting  interests. — 
"  For  such  an  liigli  priest  became  us,  who  is  holy, 
harmless,  undcSled,  separate  from  sin  icrs,  and  madt 
higfitr  thm.  the  heavens  J'     Meb.  vii,  26. 

The  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  variously 
represented.  It  is  sometimes  described  as  a  spiritu- 
al kingdom  set  up  in  ti-e  heart  of  his  people.  Luke 
xvii,  21.  '•  The  Ringdom  of  God  is  v.^ithin  you.''  It 
is  sometimes  set  forth  in  a  different  manner,  as  in- 
tending his  visible  cnurch.  Psalm  ii,  6.  *'  Yet  have 
1  set  my  king  upon  my  lioly  hill  of  Zion."  And 
sometimes  the  kingly  office  "of  Christ  is  described  as 
extending  to  all  things  visible  and  invisible.  Mat. 
xxviii,  18.  "  All  porver  in  heaven  and  on  earth  is. 
given  unto  me."  And  the  last  and  closing  exercises 
of  this  kingly  authority  of  Christ,  will  be  the  solemn 
transductions  of  the  day  of  judgment,  when  v/e  must 
all  appear  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  to  give 
an  account,  and  to  receive  the  things  done  in  the  bo- 


•m-'- 


^9 

dy  ;  afier  which  Christ  shall  deliver  up  the  kingdom 
to  the  Father,  that  God  may  be  all  in  all. 

To  this  account  ot;"  the  ofrices  of  our  Savior,  may  be 
subjoined  the  name  Christ,  which  is  used  as  the  pro- 
per name  of  our  Lord,  the  significiuiun  of  which  is, 
the  ajinointed  ;  whi^:h  does  not  si'^nify  any  particular 
office,  but  has  a  g-ceral  reference  to  all  his  offices, 
and  denotes  his  being-  invested  v.ith  them  by  the  Fa- 
ther. • 

Thus  have  I  endeavored  to  give  a  brief  represent- 
ation of  the  character,  offices  and  work  of  the  Son  of 
God,  who  by  the  execution  of  these  offices,  has  intro- 
duced the  e;iorious  dispensation  of  redeeming-  grace 
for  mankind  in  tlicir  fullen  state  ;  which  by  common 
consent  has  obtniied  the  name  of  the  covenant  of 
grace.,  among  christian  v/riters.*     By  this  title  they 

*  TIow  it  has  come  to  pass  that  christian  wintrrs  have  so 
jjener,iljy  styled  tht  dispensation  of  redeeming  j^ race,  which 
is  brou_^ht  in  by  tlie  mediation  of  Jesus  Ohrist,  by  this  title. 
The  covenant  of  grace,  is  not  easily  determined.  'Tis  a  pity 
it  has  ever  obtained  that  nan^e  in  common  use  ;  not  only 
becnuse  it  is  never  so  called  in  the  sacred  scripture,  btit  also 
because  it  has  been  the  occasion  of  great  mistakes,  and 
m'lch  perplexity  and  confusion  among-  christian  Divines, 
belli  in  tl;eir  S)Stematic,  casuistic,  polr-inic,  experiment.tl, 
an. I  practical  writings  This  disfinguishing  title  has  led 
iriinkind  to  expect  to  find  nolliing  in  this  second  covenr.nt 
but  tile  displays  of  divine  jrri'cc  and  .^ood  will,  without  any 
decl'iraliojis  of  v/ruth,  or  executions  of  vcn_i>eance.  Hence 
have  arisen  those  j^rave  perplexities  of  disting-uishinj^  l)e- 
tween  the  moi-al  law  and  the  C(>vcnarit  of  g-race — betweta 
the  duties  of  natural,  and  of  revealed  reiis^ion — whicli  texts 
in  tlie  bible  belong-  to  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  which  to 
the  covenant  of  works — whetiier  the  covenant  of  graoe  con- 
tains only  promises  of  mercy,  or  also  comnn.ands  and  threat- 
en mgs,  Sec.  To  style  the  second  covenant  a  covsvant  f>f 
r/nice,  doth  not  at  all  distinguish  it  from  the  first  coven;;nt 
ni.ule  with  Adam.  For  the  one  is  as  much  a  covenant  cf 
gi-ace  as  the  other.  For  every  covenant  that  God  makes 
witli  his  creatures,  must  necessarily  be  a  covenaiU  of  ;:ri»ce  ; 
r.hey  can  in  the  nature  of  tilings  he  nothing- else,  There  is 
;iot.  a  sentence  or  word  in  tlie  bible,  except  the  f.vo  first 
'■ap^ers  cf  Genesis,  and  part  of  the  tliird,,  but  what  belongs 


70' 

mean  to  disLi!K*;uish  it  from  that  covenant  which  God 
ini\de  with  our  first  p:\rcnts,  whicii  hc.s  commoiiiy 
ubtained  the  name  ot"  Hie  coveruint  of  ivorkn.  'iliis 
dispensation  which  is  i)ioiiij;ht  in  by  the  Son  of  God, 
is  u  glorious  scheme  Avhich  God,  in  his  eternal  coun- 
sel, has  contrived  for  the  display  of  the  glory  of  his 
great  name,  in  the  salvation  and  happiness  of  fallen 
man.  Hereby  the  giorv  of  God  is  displayed  before 
principaliics  and  powers  '.  the  glorious  ang-els  of 
light  take  pleasure  in  looking  into  it  ;  much  more 
th.en  ought  it  to  engage  the  attention  of  mankind, 
who  arc  so  greatly  interested  in  it  :  To  a  brief  view 
01  which  I  shall  now  proceed. 

II.  A  general  view  of  this  dispensation,  which  i-s 
brought  in  by  tlie  Son  of  God  is  next  to  be  ofTercd. 

Ay  tliis  dispensation  was  brought  in  by  our  Lord 
.lesus  Christ,  in  the  execution  of  the  several  offices 
which  he  was  clothed  witlij  we  must  form  our  senti- 
ments of  it  hy  attending  to  his  character  exhibited  in 
tlie  gospel,  which  has  been  pointed  out  under  the 
preceding  hciid  of  this  discourse.  And  the  light  in 
wliich  some  of  his  ofrices  will  lead  us  to  conceive  cf 
him,  is,  a.s   bcin^^   under  CQ~oenant  eiv^a^cments  to  tht 


to.  tlie  p:'0'Tiul;^ation  of  the  second  covenant.  Nor  has  God, 
s'iJ^ce  the  givlnc^oflhe  promise  of  the  seed  of  the  woir.an, 
Irike.n  one  step  in  liis  dealings  witli  fallen  man,  nor  ever  will 
to  all  eternity,  l)Ul  what  is  to  be  considered  as  his  procedure 
with  tliem  ia  this  second  covenant,  v^'hich  is  broiv^ht  in  by 
the  mediation  of  his  son,  Tlie  executions  of  divine  ven- 
geance upon  the  v.i  eked  in  hell  is  as  tnUy  God's  adminis- 
tration in  the  covenant  of  f,"race,  as  is  the  salvation  and  fu- 
liire  glorification  f-f  beiievei\s 

Siicii  as  h;vve  confined  tin-  covenant  of  grace,  in  their  view 
r-f  it,  to  the  unitinf^  of  the  .«?ouI  v/ith  Christ,  upon  the  gospel 
ortirr,  bcwihler  themselves  with  a  wiong-  notion  of  it.  And 
setting  ou'l  upon  this  wronj^  view  of  it,  as  the  foundation  on 
which  Ihry  fiirm  their  arguments,  Iheir  conclusions  seem 
^veil  estahiisiied  when  there  is  really  no  truth  in  tliem  ;  as 
wiii  readily  appear  hy  a  just  view  ofUic  covenant,  in  its  trne 
light  and  full  latitude. 


71 

Father,  and  fuifJiifig  ccvenanted  obedience  ru  lunu — 
But  when  Ave  viev/  him  in  some  of  his  other  offices, 
we  shall  be  led  lo  conceive  othim,  a.i  incdiuting  /;<?- 
irjcc7i  God  and  fnriful  ?ncn,  and  brint^lng  about  a  cove- 
nant  of  reconciliation  beiwccn  them.  This  dispensa- 
ticij  brought  in  by  our  divine  Mediator,  which  is 
commonly  styled  the  covenant  of  grace,  may  be  pro- 
perly divided  into  two  parts,  and  considered  us  being-, 
in  some  respects,  two  covenants,  in  close  connexion 
Vvith  each  other  ;  and  has  accordingly  been  so  distin- 
guished by  christian  writers.  The  cne  they  have 
styled  the  covenant  of  redcmjition,  and  the  otiier,  the 
covtnant  of  reconciliation.  And  as  there  seenis  to 
be  sufficient  reason  in  the  several  offices  of  Christ,  ■ 
for  this  distinction,  I  shall  accordingly  consider  them 
as  distinct  covenants,  or  at  least  distinguishable  the 
one  from  the  other. 

1.  The  covenant  ofredi'mfition  is  a  covenant  betiveeu 
the  Father  and  the  Son,  as  the  ivjo  contracting  f-,arde& 
of  the  covenant.  In  this  covenant  the  Father  ap- 
points his  Son  to  take  the  several  offices  which  he  is 
represented  in  the  gospel  as  being  clothed  with  ;  and 
to  perform  the  Vvork  by  which  he  niight  become  the 
author  of  eternal  salvation  to  perishing  sinners.  And 
God  the  Son  accei)ts  this  designation,  und  freely  un- 
derti'ikes  to  perhirm  this  work.  To  this  covenant 
are  to  be  referred  those  various  promises  made  to  our 
Savior,  respecting  divine  support  and  acceptance  in 
his  undertaking  and  accompiistiing  this  work,  which 
*\ve  fmd  dispersed  in  various  j)r.rts  of  the  bible.  This 
covenant  of  redemption  is  tije  loundution  of  several  of 
those  titles  by  which  he  is  described  in  the  gospel  — 
Hereby  it  is  that  he  is  uppoiuied  to  be  our  Savior  and 
Ivedeemer  ;  and  on  this  account  Ijc  is  represented  as 
our  covenant-head,  and  is  siyied  tlie  second  yidam  ; 
and  Jdam  is  called  a  figure  of  him  that  was  to  come. 
As  the  first  covenant  was  made  with  Adam,  constitu- 
ting him  a  covenc;nt-head  to  his  seed,  so  this  second 
covenant  is  naade  with  Christ,  cons.i'aumg  him  a  new 
'X)venant-head.     it  is  he  with  whom  the  covenant  of 


redemption  is  made,  wiio  is  to  act  in  it.  find  pcrfont) 
the  v/hoie  woi  k  of  it.  I'lie  behavior  of  Adam  under 
the  first  covenant,  was  that  on  which  the  life  or  death 
of  mankind  then  depended  ;  and  the  behavior  of 
Christ  under  the  second  covenant,  is  that  on  which 
the  recovery  and  salvaiion  of  manitind,  as  to  the  me- 
ritorious cause  thereof,  do  now  depe.jd.  Rom.  v,  18, 
19.  "  Therefore  as  by  the  oHence  of  one,  judg-ment 
came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation,  even  so  by  the 
righteousness  of  one,  the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men 
uuto  justification  of  life.  For  as  by  one  mane's  diso- 
bedience many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the  obedi- 
ence of  one  shall  many  be  made  ri.ehteous." 

In  these  respects  there  was  a  plain  and  manifest 
similiiude  between  Adam  and  Christ,  as  the  heads  of 
the  two  covenants  :  yet  in  some  respects  there  is  a 
great  dilieuence  betv/een  them.  I'he  covenants 
were  two  distinct  covenants  ;  and  those  to  whom  re- 
spect was  had  in  them  were  in  very  different  circum- 
stunces. 

I.  The  covenant  made  with  Christ,  is  quite  distinct 
from  that  wdiich  was  made  Avith  Adam.  When  God 
made  the  first  covenant  with  Adam,  although  the 
moral  law  remained  as  the  rule  of  righteousness  ;  yec 
the  test  of  his  obedience  was  contracted  to  a  single 
point ;  and  was  confined  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  the 
tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil :  but  in  this  sec- 
ond covenant  made  with  Christ,  i  know  of  no  particu- 
lar test  of  obedience  prescribed  to  him  ;  but  the  whole 
law  lay  before  him,  and  perfect  obedience  to  it  made 
the  condition  of  life.  In  the  first  covenant,  the  obe- 
dience of  Adam  was  brought  to  a  trial  c'ily  in  a  single 
point :  but  in  this  second  covenant,  the  obedience  of 
the  man  Christ  Jesus  was  put  to  the  trial  in  all  points 
of  duty.  Indeed,  there  are  some  special  branches  of 
duty  enjoined  by  the  moral  law,  in  some  certain  cases 
and  circumstances,  in  which  the  obedience  of  our 
new  covenant-head  was  not  put  to  the  trial.  The  va- 
rious stations  in  life  have  particular  duties  connected 
\Tith  them  ;  which  arc  incumbent  only  on  such  per- 


7S 

•^0113  as  arc  in  such  circumstances.  And  as  Christ 
never  sustained  such  circumstances  and  relations,  his 
o!)e{Uencc  in  such  points  was  not  hrought  to  a  trial. 
But  as  he  was  inten^led  tp  be  a  common  blessing  to 
mankind  ;  so  he  stood  a  probationer  in  the  second 
covenant,  in  such  circumstances  as  are  common 
to  all  inen.  And  in  this  respect  it  may  be  said. 
He  I'jas  temJiCed  in  all  points  like  as  ive  are^  yet  TJith- 
out  sin. 

The  man  Christ  Jesus  was  in  a  state  of  trial  under 
th.is  second  covenant,  as  really  as  Adam  v/as  under  the 
first  ;  and  his  own  life  or  death  was  depending,  whilst 
that  trial  lasted.  For  when  he  was  made  man,  he 
was  made  under  the  lavv,  and  took  upon  him  the  form 
or'a  servant  ;  and  if  it  might  be  supposed  that  he  had 
failed  in  his  obedience  ;"  he  would  have  forfeited  life, 
and  fallen  under  condemnation  ;  but  as  he  persevered 
in  his  obedience  to  the  end  of  his  trial  ;  his  title  to  life 
WHS  confirmed  by  the  covenant  which  h?;  had  fulfilled. 
Indeed,  there  v.as  a  great  personal  difference  between 
Adam  and  Christ.  Adam  was  a  mere  creature,  of  a 
livnited  mutable  nature  :  but  the  man  Christ  Jesus 
was  a  partaker  of  the  divine  and  unchangeable  nature  ; 
which  diO'erence  in  their  persons,  made  a  great  differ- 
ence in  their  state  of  probation,  with  respect  to  the 
certainty,  of  the  issue.  A  liablencss  to  sin,orapos- 
sibiiiiy  of  sinning  seems  to  be  an  idea  inseparably 
connected  with  a  state  of  probation.  This  is  certain- 
ly the  case,  when  the  probationer  is  a  mere  creature, 
of  a  limited,  dependent,  mutable  nature.  When 
Adam  was  made  a  probationer  under  the  first  cove- 
nant, his  own  strength,  or  that  natural  ability  for  the 
i.ervice  of  God  with  which  he  was  createc,  was  the 
fund  by  virtue  of  which  he  was  to  go  through  his  tri- 
al. In  his  case  therefore,  a  liableness  to  sin  was  es- 
sential to  his  state  of  probation.  And  when  the  Son 
©f  God  in  our  nature  was  put  into  a  stute  of  trial  under 
the  second  covenant,  there  was  a  liableness  that  he 
should  sin,  so  far  as  one  who  is  a  partaker  of  divine 
im  mutability  nuvy  be  said  to  be  liable  to  it.       He  was 


74 

in  ail  points  tempted  like  as  we  are.  There  was  no- 
thing in  the  state  in  which  he  stood,  nor  in  ihe  trials 
he  passed  through,  on  account  of  which  it  can  be  said, 
that  he  was  not  liable  to  fail.  The  only  infallible  se- 
curity of  his  not  failing,  was  his  own  personal  fund  of 
divine  immutability  which  the  nranhood  enjoyed  by 
its  union  with  the  Godhead.  But  this  notwithstand- 
ing, he  Was  in  ail  points  tempted  like  as  we  are  ;  yea, 
he  seems  to  have  hud  all  the  temptations  laid  in  his 
"Way,  that  the  cruelty  of  men,  and  the  malice  of  devils 
could  invent,ybr  then  was  their  houvj  aiid  the  fiovier  of 
darkness  ;  und  all  the  difference  there  was  between 
Adam  and  Christ,  with  respect  to  the  certainty  of  the 
issue  of  their  trials,  was  owing  to  the  difference  there 
was  in  their  persons. 

How  long  Adam  was  to  have  stood  a  probationer 
under  the  first  covenant  if  he  had  been  faithful,  is  not 
told  us  ;  but  the  term  of  trial  appointed  to  our  new 
covenant-head  was  the  whole  period  of  the  days  of  his 
flesh.  It  began  when  he  took  our  nature  on  him,  and 
lasted  till  the  time  of  his  death,  when  with  his  last 
breath,  he  said,  ItisJinUhed. 

This  obedience  of  our  Savier  is  not  to  be  viewed  as 
that  in  which  he  alone  was  concerned  ;  but  he  per- 
formed it  in  the  character  of  a  covenant-head  ;  and 
'tis  improved  by  him  in  his  executing  his  meditorial 
offices,  as  a  part  of  his  mediatorial  work,  or  as  that 
righteousness  by  which  he  procures  the  justification 
of  life  for  his  people.  As  Adam's  offence  brought 
the  sentence  of  condemnation  on  him,  and  on  his  na- 
tural seed  :  so  the  obedience  of  Christ  brings  justifi- 
cation on  him,  and  on  his  spiritual  seed.  Rom.  v.  19, 
<*  For  as  by  one  man's  disobedience  many  were  made 
sinners :  so  by  the  obedience  of  one  shall  many  be 
Blade  righteous." 

2.  1  hose  to  whom  respect  was  had  in  these  two 
covenants,  are  under  very  difi*erent  circumstances. 
The  first  covenant  was  made  with  Adam  in  a  state  of 
innocence,  and  his  seed  for  whom  he  stood  a  covenant- 
hwtl  were  supposed  to  come  into  the  world  in  an  in* 


75 

Bocent  state  ;  active  obedience  therefore  was  all  that 
was  then  necessary  to  the  obtaininij  a  title  to  the  pro- 
mised reward.  But  the  case  of  mankind  since  the 
fall,  is  widely  different,  for  whom  the  second  Adam 
acted  in  the  capacity  of  a  covenant-head.  We  come 
into  the  world  under  sin,  our  nature  is  depraved,  and 
our  lives  filled  up  with  numberless  trangressions. 
The  wages  of  sin  are  due  to  us  ;  we  lie  open  to 
death,  not  of  the  body  only,  but  of  the  soul  too,  in  suf- 
fering the  vengeance  of  Almighty  God  in  the  eternai 
stale.  These  wages  of  sin  were  considered  as  due  to 
us  when  the  son  of  God  undertook  to  be  our  Savior  ; 
and  he  had  this  guilt  of  sin  to  do  away,  as  well  as  to 
provide  a  justifying  righteousness  for  us  by  his  active 
obedience.  And  hence  it  was  necessary  to  our  re- 
demption, that  he  hU  own  self^  should  bear  our  sins  in 
his  0TJ71  body  mi  the  tree.  This  is  part  of  the  work  the 
son  of  God  undertook  to  perform  in  the  covenant  of 
redemption. 

Whether  Adam  would  have  had  any  thing  further 
to  have  done,  after  he  had  yielded  persevering  obedi- 
ence to  the  first  covenant,  to  the  period  ot  his  proba- 
tion state,  in  order  to  make  his  seed  partakers  of  th^ 
blessings  to  which  he  would  have  thereby  procured 
for  them  a  title,  is  a  matter  about  which  the  holy 
scriptures  are  silent  :  But  with  respect  to  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  it  is  very  evident,  the  work  which  he  un- 
dertook in  the  covenant  of  redemption,  was  of  much 
greater  extent,  and  more  lasting  continuance  than  his 
probation-state.  That  period  in  which  we  are  to  view 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  acting  in  a  state  of  probation, 
was  from  the  time  he  took  our  nature  on  him,  till  he 
finished  his  course  in  death  upon  the  cross.  Bat  it  is 
evident,  the  work  of  redemption  is  of  much  larger 
extent,  and  our  Savior  still  had  much  to  do,  to  make 
his  people  partakers  of  those  blessings  which  he  had 
procured  for  them  by  his  holy  life  and  atoning  death. 
For  as  he  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  so  he  was 
raised  again  for  our  justification;  and  his  work  will 
never  be  finished  till  he  has  brought  all  his  redeem- 


til  ones  to  the  full  possession  of  the  promised  inhei;- 
itunce  of  eternal  liic,  and  made  them  complete  in 
glory. 

What  has  been  now  offered  may  serve  as  a  general 
view  of  the  covenant  of  redemption.  This  is  the  first 
and  leading  part  of  the  dispensation  of  redeeming 
t^-race,  and  is  properly  tlie  foundation  of  all  that  iol- 
iows,  in  all  the  dealings  of  God  with  mankind.  'Tis 
on  this  covenant  of  redcmpiion,  that  the  covenant  of 
reconciliation  is  predicated.     Wherefore 

2.  7Yie  covenant  of  rcconciliaiion  is  a  covenant  be- 
t.rjecii  Godcmd  &invers^  through  the  mediation  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

'Ihe  Lord  Je^us  Christ,  by  being  vested  with  his 
several  offices,  and  performing  the  work  he  had  un^ 
dertaken  in  the  covenant  of  redemption,  laid  a  foun- 
dation for,  and  became  suitably  qualified  to  carry  on  a 
treaty  of  peace  and  reconciliation  between  God  and 
the  sinful  children  of  n.en  ;  for  which  cause  he  is  cal- 
led a  ?y'lediaior.  In  the  prosecution  of  this  desig-n,  he 
is  passed  into  the  heavens,  to  appear  in  the  presence 
of  God  for  us,  to  present  his  own  obedience  and  atone- 
ment on  our  behalf  ;  and  to  be  our  advocate  ^vith  the 
Father.  He  has  laid  a  foundation  for  the  exercise  of 
God's  parooning  mercy,  that  he  may  becom.e  recon- 
ciled to  siiiuers,  and  receive  them  to  his  everlasting- 
love,  consistent  with  his  holiness  and  righteousness, 
and  t'le  lienor  and  glory  of  his  government.  And  all 
the  favor  God  shows  to  sinners,  and  the  blessings,  of 
whatever  kind  he  bestows  upon  them,  are  for  the  sake 
of  Christ,  and  on  account  of  what  he  hath  clone  in  this 
mediatorial  capacity. 

Christ,  in  performing  the  work  of  a  mediator,  not 
only  thus  applies  to  God  for  us  ;  but  has  also  to  deal 
with  sinners,  to  bring  them  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 
In  prosecution  of  this  design,  he  has  appeared  in  our 
nature,  to  bring  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation,  has  giv- 
en a  complete  revelation  of  divine  truth,  has  set  up 
his  visible  kingdom  the  chm-ch,  has  given  rules  for 
the  regulation  of  it,  and  has  instituted  a  gcspei-nuni.-> 


try,  worship  and  ordinances  ;  by  all  which,  as  a  medi- 
ator between  God  and  sinners,  he  lre:its  with  them 
about  their  reconciliation  with  God  ;  the  terms  of  life 
are  stated,  a  compliance  with  them  is  urged  upon  sin- 
ners, many  gracious  promises  of  bestowing  the  bles- 
sings of  salvation  on  all  such  as  comply  with  the  terms 
fixed,  are  set  before  them.  All  these  things  are  to 
be  considered  as  being  included  in  the  mediation  of 
Christ,  hy  which  a  treaty  of  peace  is  carried  on,  and 
the  covenant  of  reconciliation  happily  concluded  be- 
tween God  and  the  complying  soul. 

Tlie  terms  fixed  in  the  gospel,  by  a  compliance 
with  which  we  become  heirs  of  the  promises,  are 
comprised  by  the  apostle  in  refientance  fvivard  God^^ 
and  faith  toward  Qur  Lord  Jesus  Chrht.  Acts,  xx, 
21.  Hereby  it  is  we  close  covenant  with  God,  and 
become  entitled  to  the  blessings  promised  in  it. — 
These  two  christian  graces,  Faith  and  Refientance^ 
although  in  some  respects  different  exercises  of  the 
heart,  yet  are  of  the  same  general  nature,  and  inse- 
parably take  place  in  the  soul  at  the  same  time. 

Faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  a  receiving' 
him^  in  all  his  offices,  as  he  is  offered  to  us  in  the  gos- 
pel John,  i.  12.  "As  many  as  received  him,  to 
them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  Sons  of  God, 
even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name."  I  am  sensi- 
ble the  word  faith  is  used  in  different  senses  in  the 
gospel  ;  but  the  faith  by  vrhich  we  become  interest- 
ed in  the  promises,  is  the  faith  here  described. 

Repentance  towards  God,  is  the  returning  of  the 
soul  to  God,  through  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  a  con- 
comitant act  with  that  of  receiving  Christ.  But  as 
there  is  some  difference  in  these  exercises  of  the 
heart ;  so  a  corresponding  distinction  is  to  be  made 
in  thrs  covenant  of  reconciliation.  This  covenant  is 
represented  in  two  different  points  of  light,  in  the 
gospel ;  or  rather,  as  being  in  some  sense  two  dis- 
tinct covenants  :  as  much  distinct  as  faith  and  re- 
pentance are  distinct  exercises  ;   the  one  is  a  coven- 

7* 


78 

ant'Union  tvith  Christy  and  the  other  a  covenant-r ela- 
tion to^  and  interest  in  God,  through  Christ, 

1.  This  covenant  of  reconciliation  is  primarily  to 
be  considered  as  a  covenant-relation  to  Christ,  or  un- 
ion with  him  by  faith.  Hence  the  common  appella- 
tion of  the  church  is,  The  Church  of  Christ,  It  is 
styled  "  Christ*s  onvn  house.^^  Heb.  iii,  6.  When 
the  church  is  styled  a  Kingdom,  Christ  is  the  king  of 
of  it.  And  when  it  is  compared  to  a  building,  Christ 
is  the  foundation,  or  chief  corner-stone.  So,  when 
believers  in  particular  are  mentioned,  they  are  spo- 
ken of  as  esfioused  to  Christ  ;  and  their  relation  to 
him  is  frequently  compared  to  the  marriage-coven- 
ant. These  things  being  attended  to,  make  it  evi- 
dent, that  the  covenant  of  reconciliation  completed,  is 
primarily  to  be  considered  as  a  covenant-closure  with 
Christ. 

2.  This  covenant  of  reconciliation  is  a  covenant-re- 
lation to  God,  through  Christ.  As  faith  towards  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  a  covenant-closure  with  him  as 
our  Savior  upon  the  gospel  offer  ;  so  repentance  to- 
wards God  is  a  covenant-closure  with  him,  as  our 
God,  through  Christ.  Although  faith  and  repent- 
ance take  place  in  the  heart  at  the  same  time  ;  yet 
we  see,  in  the  order  of  nature,  faith  is  necessarily  be- 
fore repentance.  Hence  the  apostle  speaks  of  "  com- 
ing to  God  by  Christ."  Heb.  vii.  25.  And  our  Lord 
himself  testifies,  "  No  man  can  come  unto  the  Father 
but  by  me."     John  xiv   6. 

When  a  sinner  is  brought  to  this  repentance  to- 
ward God,  and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
this  treaty  of  peace  is  concluded  ;  the  penitent  believ- 
er therein  obtains  a  sure  and  unfailing  interest  in  God 
and  Christ,  and  a  covenant-title  to  all  the  sure  mercies 
of  Christ,  the  true  David.  It  is  by  the  mediation  of 
Christ,  that  this  treaty  of  peace,  this  covenant  of  re- 
conciliation is  brought  about,  and  thus  happily  con- 
cluded. 

These  few  observations  may  suffice  for  a  general 
account  of  the  covenant   of  grace,  and  the  several 


79 

parts  included  in  it.  The  covenant  of  redempiion  is 
the  first  and  leading  part  of  it,  on  wiucli  the  covenant 
of  reconeiliation  is  predicated,  and  all  the  subsequent 
dealings  of  God  with  mankind,  flow  from  it  ;  by  at- 
tending to  which,  we  shall  be  led  into  a  more  full 
acquaintance  with  the  covenant,  and  more  clearly  see 
the;true  tenor  of  it.     Therefore, 

III.  I  proceed  to  inquire  into  the  state  of  mankind 
under  this  dispensation  of  redeeming  grace,  and  the 
tenor  of  the  various  dealings  of  God  with  them. 

When  God  came  to  our  first  parents  after  the  fall, 
and  had  convicted  them  of  their  breach  of  the  first 
covenant  ;  he  thereupon  revealed  the  covenant  o-f 
grace,  by  the  promise  of  the  seed  of  the  woman  that 
should  bruise  the  serpent's  head  and  thereby  the 
dispensation  of  redeeming  grace  was  brouglu  in,  the 
Redeemer's  kingdom  was  set  up,  and  the  influence 
of  his  mediation  took  place,  before  God  proceeded  to 
pass  any  sentence  upon  them  for  their  transgression. 
And  this  dispensation  of  redeeming  grace  being  thus 
brought  in,  from  this  time  forward  it  i^ecarne  the 
foundation  of  all  the  subsequent  dealings  of  God  with 
mankind  ;  which  I  shall  essay  to  illustrate  in  the  fol- 
lowing observations. 

1.  By  the  introduction  of  this  new  dispensation, 
the  execution  of  the  threatening  of  the  first  covenant 
upon  our  first  parents  was  prevented  ;  and  a  new 
state  of  trial  for  life  or  death  was  granted  them, 
which  made  room  for  their  posterity  to  come  into  ex- 
istence in  the  coarse  oi  ordinary  generation.  When 
Adam  had  broken  the  first  covenant,  death  became 
his  due  according  to  the  threatening,  "  In  the  day 
that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die." — 
There  remained  no  room  for  him  to  continue  any 
longer  a  probationer  under  the  first  covenant ;  but 
his  state  was  effectually  decided  :  nothhjg  but  death 
was  before  him.  And  as  the  tenor  of  the  threatening 
was,  that  he  shottld  die  on  the  day  that  he  sinned  ; 
there  must  have  been  a  speedy  end  of  him,  and  with 


80 

iiim,  the  end  of  the  whole  human  race  ;  and  this 
world  which  was  made  for  his  habitation,  must  have 
been  destroyed,  or  remained  an  uninhabited  desert,  it' 
the  Mediator  had  not  then  interposed  to  sustain  the 
sinkinj^  vrorld.  But  as  the  mediation  of  Jesus  Christ 
then  took  place,  on  that  account  God  continued  to 
uphold  the  world,  to  preserA'^c  the  course  of  nature, 
to  spare  fallen  Adam  from  the  execution  of  the  curse 
of  the  broken  covenant,  and  to  grant  him  another 
state  of  trial  on  tlie  footing  of  the  covenant  of  grace. 

Some  have  taken  much  pains  to  little  purpose,  to 
show  a  reason  why  Adam  did  not  suffer  death  on  the 
day  that  he  sinned,  according  to  the  threatening  of 
the  first  covenant  ;  and  have  labored  to  give  such  an 
unnatural  turn  to  the  threatening,  as  to  make  it  con- 
sistent with  God's  sparing  him  from  present  death,  and 
allowing  him  to  live  long  enough  to  leave  a  posterity 
of  sinful  mortals  behind  him,  before  the  threatened 
death  should  be  inflicted  upon  him.  But  such  delays 
of  justice  cannot  be  accounted  for,  from  the  tenor  of 
the  first  covenant :  but  it  v/as  manifestly  a  privilege 
granted  to  him  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  as  a  fruit  of 
the  mediation  of  Christ.  After  the  breach  of  the  first 
covenant,  x\dam  lived  above  nine  hundred  years  ;  dur- 
ing which  period  he  was  a  probationer  for  life  or  death, 
under  the  covenant  of  grace  :  and  this  day  of  grace 
therefore,  must  necessarily  be  looked  upon  a^,  a  priv- 
ilege procured  for  him  by  the  Mediator,  and  granted 
to  him  in  the  covenant  of  grace.  A. id  this  view  of 
the  case  gives  us  a  plain,  natural  and  easy  account  of 
God's  sparing  Adam  from  punishment  according  to 
the  threatening  :  It  was  the  Mediator  who  obtained 
this  privilege,  or  reprieve  from  death  for  him. 

When  the  first  covenant  was  broken,  and  Adam 
had  thereby  laid  himself  open  to  the  curse  of  it  ;  the 
question  to  be  determined  was,  whether  the  curse 
should  be  executed  upon  him,  and  the  whole  human 
race  be  cut  oft  at  one  stroke  :  or  whether  that  coven- 
ant should  be  superceded  by  the  introduction  of  the 
second  covenant  j    whereby  a  trial  for  life  or  death 


81 

bhould  be  gran  led  both  to  him  and  to  his  seed,  upoii. 
this  new  footing;.  It  was  tb.e  last  of  these  which  divine 
wisdom  and  goodness  hrith  chosen  Here  then  we 
are  to  inquire  what  that  state  isj  in  which  Adam  and 
his  seed  are  to  be  coiisidered,  when  this  change  in 
the  divine  government  was  made,  in  superceding  the 
first  covenant  by  the  introduction  of  the  second. 

As  to  Adaniy  it  is  plain  he  then  stood  as  a  fdllen 
creature  betore  Gcd  ;  and  yet,  it  remained  to  be  de- 
termined by  his  conduct  under  tliis  second  covenant 
wliether  life  or  death  should  be  his  portion  And  as 
to  his  seed,  the  state  in  which  they  are  born,  is 
much  the  same  with  that  in  which  he  then  stood. 
When  Adam  was  created,  his  Maker  formed  him  to 
be  the  root  and  father  of  the  human  race.  The  man- 
ner in  which  mankind  v/ere  to  come  into  beuig,  was 
then  established  to  be  by  ordinary  generation.  The 
God  of  nature  then  esteiblished  such  a  near  and  close 
natural  union  among  them,  that  they  should  be  all 
partakers  of  the  same  nature,  share  in  like  privile- 
ges, and  be  dealt  with  upon  the  same  footing  ;  this 
natural  union  being  a  proper  foundation  of,  and  a 
leadirg  step  to  that  federal  union  between  him  and 
his  seed,  which  was  appointed  in  the  first  covenant. 
Union  wifh  the  blessed  God,  the  supreme  head  of 
the  moral  vvorld,  is,  in  the  nature  of  things,  necessa- 
ry to  the  well  being  of  the  rational  system.  This 
Slate  cf  union  with  God,  v.-as  the  state  in  which  the 
human  nature  was  first  fornied.  And  for  securing 
and  preserving  this  union  of  the  human  race  with 
God,  both  the  natural  and  the  federal  union  wliich 
were  originally  ordained  between  Adam  and  his 
seed,  were  intended  to  be  subservient.  That  cov- 
enanr-union  which  God  appointed  betv/een  Adam  and 
lus  seed,  was  not  to  be  considered  as  a  mere  arbi- 
trary appointment  ;  (though  on  that  supposition,  the 
divine  right  and  authority  cannot  be  disputed)  but  it 
was  a  wise  and  proper  m.ethod  to  preserve  and  secure 
that  union  of  mankind  with  himself,  which  is  essen- 
tial to  the   happiness   of  his   rational   creatures.— 


82 

Whether  there  was  any  other,  or  any  better  method 
that  could  huve  aeen  devised  to  secure  the  union  of 
mankind  with  God,  than  that  which  was  provided  in 
nature,  and  appointed  in  the  first  covenant,  is  not 
for  us  to  determine.  But  this  consideration  should 
satisfy  us  in  the  case,  that  of  all  possible  methods,  in- 
finite and  unerring  wisdom  made  choice  of  this  nat- 
ural and  federal  union  of  mankind  with  their  first  fa- 
ther. But  we  see,  Adam  by  his  misconduct  frustra- 
ted the  good  tendency  and  intention  of  his  primitive 
state,  and  brought  ruin  upon  himself ;  and  his  seed 
thereby  became  liable  to  be  cut  off  from  their  tl^en 
future,  intended  existence.  But  as  by  the  second 
covenant,  a  new  state  of  trial  and  day  of  grace  was 
afforded  to  our  first  parents  ;  it  made  way  for  their 
seed  to  come  into  the  world  according  to  the  origin- 
ally appointed  method  of  ordinary  generation.  And 
this  shows  that  we  receive  even  our  natural  exist- 
ence through  the  influence  of  the  mediation  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

It  has  been  before  proved,  that  Adam's  seed,  ac- 
cording to  the  constitution  of  the  first  covenant,  were 
to  be  affected  with,  and  sharers  in  the  fruits  and  con- 
sequences of  his  conduct  under  that  dispensation. — 
And  what  great  advantages  would  have  accrued  to 
them  from  his  fidelity,  had  he  been  faith fuU  we  have 
not  sufficient  light  from  the  word  of  God  to  deter- 
mine. But  since  he  fell,  and  it  was  the  introduction 
of  the  second  covenant  that  made  room  for  us  to 
come  into  being  according  to  the  originally  appoint- 
ed method  of  ordinary  generation,  it  is  not  reasonable 
to  suppose  we  shall  now  suffer  any  greater  positive 
punishment  on  accouut  of  Adam's  breach  of  cove- 
nant, than  v/e  should  have  done  if  the  second  covenant 
had  not  been  brought  in  ;  but  the  first  covenant  had 
had  its  full  operation.  Indeed,  sins  committed  un- 
der any  dispensation,  are  aggravated  in  proportion  to 
the  excellency  of  the  constitution,  and  the  privileges 
coritained  in  it.  Although,  therefore,  sins  commit- 
ted under  the  covenant  of  grace,  arc  peculiarly   ag» 


83 

g-ravated,  yet  this  affords  no  reason  why  Adam's  seed 
should  have  a  greater  punishment  luid  iipoii  tiicm 
for  his  breach  of  the  first  covenant,  than  they  were  to 
have  suffered  according  to  the  covenant  under  which 
the  offence  was  committed.  And  as  all  the  evil  tlney 
wo\iid  have  suffered  if  the  first  covenant  had  had  its 
full  operation,  was  merely  negative,  in  that  their  then 
future  existence  would  have  been  prevented  ;  there- 
fore a  greater  evil  than  non-existence  cannot  be  ex- 
ecuted  upon  any  of  the  seed  of  Adam,  merely  for  his 
breach  of  covenant  And  accoidingly  we  no  where 
find  mankind  ever  threatened  with  future  damnation 
merely  for  the  sin  of  Adum. 

Wherefore  if  the  future  state  of  the  infants  of  hea- 
then dying  in  infuncy,  should  be  objected  against 
what  has  been  now  offered,  i  would  reply — The  me- 
diation of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  procured  their  natu- 
ral life  ;  they  were  born  into  the  world  probationers 
under  the  covenant  of  grace.  If,  therefore,  they  pe- 
rish in  tiie  next  world,  it  must  be  not  for  Adam's 
breach  of  the  first  covenant,  but  for  their  non-com- 
pliance with  the  covenant  of  grace.  There  are  no 
greater  difficulties  attending  the  supposition  of  their 
perishing  for  non-compliance  with  the  covenant  of 
grace,  than  there  are  attending  the  supposition  of 
their  suffering  for  the  sin  of  Adam  imputed.  But  I 
know  of  nothing  that  will  warrant  our  saying  any 
such  shall  perish.  For  it  was  the  mediation  of  Jesus 
Christ  that  procured  their  natural  life,  and  they  are 
born  probationers  under  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  and 
although  they  are  taken*  out  of  the  vrorld  before 
they  were  capable  of  yielding  actual  compliance  with 
the  terms  of  life  ;  yet  neither  have  they  positively 
rejected  them.  But  it  must  be  confessed  the  scrip- 
tures do  not  afford  sufficient  light  to  enable  us  to 
Aiake  any  certain  conclusions  in  the  case. 

But  it  any  will  insist  upon  it,  that  as  they  are  natu- 
rally depraved  by  Adam's  fall,  so  they  must  suffer 
for  it  after  death  ;  I  answer — As  the  evil  they  would 
hnvc  suffered  if  the  first  covenant  had  had  its  fuD 


84 

operation,  would  have   been  ncn-cxisiencc^  Uierefort 
their  tuturc  punishment  must  be  annihilation. 

Seeing'  then  the  supeieeding  the  first  covenant  by 
the  intvoduclion  of  the  second,  has  made  way  lor  the 
seed  of  Adr.m  to  be  born  into  the  world  probation- 
ers for  life  or  death,  mider  the  covenant  of  grace  ; 
it  will  be  inquired  how  ?  Or  whether  we  be  at  all 
interested  in,   or   afiected  with  this   breach  of  cov- 


enant 


■  To  this  inquiry  I  answer,  in  tAVo  respects. 
I  1.  We  enjoy  a  much  less  happy  state  in  this  life, 
than  mit^ht  hav-e  been  expected,  if  our  first  parents 
bad  not  fallen.  \V  e  are  exposed  to  innumerable  evils 
in  this  life,  and  even  to  suiTer  a  bodily  death  ;  all 
which  arc  undeniably  laid  upon  us  on  account  of  Ad- 
am's fail  ;  as  evidently  appears  from  that  sentence 
p'.issed  upon  him  ;  which  nianifestly  extends  to,  and 
equaiiy  lies  upon  all  his  seed.  Gen.  iii.  17,  18,  19, 
"  And  unto  Adam  he  said,  because  thou  hast  heark- 
ened unto  the  voice  of  thy  wife,  and  hast  eaten  of  the 
tree  of  which  I  commanded  thee  saying,  thou  shalt 
not  cat  of  it  ;  cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy  sake  ;  in 
soj'row  shdlt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  thy  life. 
1  norns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth  unto  ihee  ; 
anu  thou  shatt  eat  the  hcvb  of  the  field,  in  the  sweat 
of  ihy  face  shaJt  thou  eat  bread,  till  thou  return  unto 
the  ground  ;  for  out  of  it  wast  thou  taken  ;  for  dust 
thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return." 

2.  We  do  not  come  into  the  v/orld  in  that  state  of 
union  and  friendship  v»'ith  God  that  we  should  have 
done,  if  Adam  had  not  fallen.  God  at  first  made 
Adcim  in  his  own  image,  in  a  stale  of  union  and  friend- 
ship with  his  Maker  ;  and  if  children  had  been  bora 
luuo  him  whilst  he  stood  in  that  state,  they  also  would 
bvive  come  inio  the  world  in  such  a  state  of  union  and 
fiiendship  with  God.  But  after  he  fell,  he  begat  a 
son  in  his  own  likeness. 

Union  with  Aciam  v/as  the  way  appointed  in  the 
first  covenant,  i\>r  the  enjoyment  of  Iriendship  and 
communion  v-iih  God  :    Ikit  s-incc  the  first  covenant 


S5 

was  superseded  by  the  introduction  of  the  second, 
union  witii  Christ  our  new  covenant-head,  is  the  only- 
way  tor  us  now  to  enjoy  friendship  and  communion 
wiihGod.  If  therefore  there  was  nothin;^  to  be 
charged  upon  us,  under  the  present  dispensation,  but 
the  Want  of  that  faith  by  which  we  should  be  united 
to  Christ  ;  it  would  be  sufficient  matter  of  condemna- 
tion. For  tills  is  the  tenor  of  the  new  coven  mt, 
M.u'k  xvi.  16.  *' He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized 
shall  be  saved  :  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned."  We  are  born  probationers  for  life  or 
deaii  under  this-  new  disp-^-nsation  ;  and  shall  he 
judged  in  the  last  day,  and  dealt  with  in  the  future  ' 
state,  not  accorrlinr^-  to  the  first  covenant  made  with 
Adam  ;  but  according,  to  the  covenant  of  grace, 
brougiit  in  by  the  mediation  of  Christ.  For  vs'e  no 
where  find  the  children  of  men  threatened  with  fu- 
ture damnation  on  account  of  Adam's  breach  of 
covenant. 

As  union  to  and  communion  with  God  tmder  tlie 
present  dispensation,  is  not  to  be  enjoyed  by  m.uikiud 
but  by  faitii  in  the  Mediator  ;  tiierefore  the  children 
of  men  in  their  native  stvite,  are  cut  off  from  those  di- 
vine manifestc'.tions  which  would  draw  their  hearts  to 
the  love  of  God  ;  and  of  course,  they  fail  in  love  v^itk 
creatures  as  has  before  been  described.  This  is  the 
greatest  evil  we  suffer  for  the  siii  ot  Adam. 

Although  the  .first  covenant  is  superseded  by  the 
introduction  of  the  second,  yet  the  originally  appoint- 
ed method  for  mankind  to  enter  into  life  by  ordinary 
generation,  is  noi  thereby  broken  up  ;  nor  is  the  first 
covenant  anniiiiiated  by  being  superceded,  or  mude 
to  be  as  if  it  never  had  been  ;  but  it  remains  as  an 
antiquated  dispensation,  under  v/hich  mankind  are  to 
be  considered  as  having  once  stood  For  altiiough 
there  is  a  great  disr  mce  of  time  between  he  former 
and  lat.er  gor.eryt.igns  of  \d  im's  seed  as  to  the  pe- 
riod when  they  cntf^r  into  life  ;  yet  this  makes  no 
aiter.iuon  as  to  tiiC  state  in  which  they  come  into  the 
world  i  becr-iuse  ttiey  virtually  existed  iti  Adam,  as* 
8 


S6 

appears  from  the  natural  union  between  him  and 
them,  and  the  covenant-union  which  was  predicated 
;ipon  it.  The  coui-se  of  nature  is  affected  wiih  this 
fiibi  constitution  throughout  all  generations  ;  and  by 
it,  the  character  of  a  sinner  is  fastened  upon  them. 
If  the  whole  human  race  had  actually  existed  at  the 
time  when  the  first  covenant  was  superseded  by  the 
second,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  the  first  covenant  would 
have  fixed  the  character  of  a  sinner  upon  them,  by 
virtue  of  of  their  union  with  Adam  :  but  the  origin- 
ally appointed  method  of  entering  into  life  in  a  suc- 
cession of  many  generations,  is  equally  consistent 
\vith  their  being  all  equally  affected  with  that  primi- 
tive constitution  ;  although  there  is  such  great  dis- . 
tance  of  time  between  them.  But  notwithstanding 
this  operation  of  the  first  covenant,  they  arc  to  be 
considered  as  being  born  under  the  covenant  of 
grace,  under  which  they  stand  probationers  for  life  or 
death. 

Objection.  If  the  first  covenant  is  superseded  by 
the  second,  and  we  are  born  under  the  covenant  of 
grace,  to  stand  in  a  state  of  probation  under  it  alone, 
why  then  should  we  be  at  all  affected  wdth  the  first 
covenant  ?  Or  be  tainted  by  Adam's  breach  of  it  ? 

jlnaiver.  When  Adam  was  made,  and  placed  un- 
der the  first  covenant,  he  had  a  seed  given  him. 
When  he  fell,  being  spared  from  present  death 
through  the  Mediator,  it  made  room  for  his  seed  to 
be  born.  The  introduction  of  the  second  covenant 
did  not  give  him  a  seed  :  but  it  prevented  the  ex- 
cision of  his  then  future  intended  seed,  by  the  execu- 
tion of  the  curse  of  the  first  covenant ;  his  seed  m-^y 
be  said  to  be  redeemed  from  non-existence,  in  like 
manner  as  Adam  was  redeemed  from  present  death. 
If  therefore  we  have  our  originally  intended  exist- 
ence, we  must  come  into  the  w®rld  as  the  seed  of 
Adam.  Our  receiving  our  originally  intended  ex- 
istence, as  the  seed  of  Adam,  after  his  fall,  could  not 
be  separated  from  our  sharing  in  the  depravity  of  his 
fallen  state.     The  introduction  of  the  second  coven- 


87 

ant  could  not  possiblv  have  prevented  this,  without 
breaking-  in  upon  the  order  of  nature,  unJ  dissolving 
the  originally  appointed  method  of  coming  into  the 
world  in  the  course  of  ordinary  generation  ;  whicli 
would,  in  reality,  have  been  the  bringing  in  of  another 
race  of  bein9:s,  instead  of  the  originally  intended  seed. 
And  if  we  will  object  against  this,  it  will  be  ultimate- 
ly to  object  against  God's  gracious  dealings  with  our 
first  parents,  in  sparing  them  from  present  death,  by 
the  introduction  of  the  second  covenant.  But  shall 
our  eye  be  evil,  because  he  is  good  ? 

Upon  the  whole  then,  when  we  survey  the  dealings 
of  God  with  mankind  from  the  beginning,  we  shall 
fiuv:  no  reason  to  complain  of  his  ways  as  not  being 
equal,  on  account  of  any  thing  we  suffer  because  of 
Adam's  breach  of  the  first  cov«nant. 

2.  This  new  covenant  is  the  foundation  of  God's 
present  plan  of  providential  government  over  the 
world. 

As  it  was  the  mediation  of  Christ  which  prevented 
the  execution  of  the  curse  of  the  first  covenant  upoa 
Adam,  and  made  room  for  his  posterity  to  come  into 
being  in  their  several  generations  ;  so  it  is  to  be  as- 
cribed to  the  same  cause  that  the  earth  was  preser- 
ved, the  course  of  nature  continued,  and  mankind  en- 
joy the  present  life  with  all  the  comforts  of  it.  And 
this  shows  how  pertinently  those  words  may  be  ap- 
plied to  Christ  in  Ps.  Ixxv.  3.  "  The  earth  and  all 
the  inhabitants  thereof  are  dissolved  :  I  bear  up  the 
pillars  of  it."  God's  dealings  with  mankind  in  the 
various  dispensations  of  providence,  must  be  acknow- 
ledged to  be  agreeable  to  the  state  in  which  he  hath 
placed  them.  And  as  it  is  the  covenant  of  grace  un- 
der which  mankind  are  placed  in  a  state  of  probation, 
in  the  present  life  ;  we  must  suppose  the  plan  of  his 
providential  government  is  regulated  according  to 
that  covenant.  For  as  we  have  received  this  present 
life  by  the  influence  of  the  Mediator  of  the  new  cov- 
enant ;  therefore  all  our  circumstances  in  life  must 
be  ordered  accordingly.     This  is  the  case  in  all  di" 


ss 

vine  visitations  in  the  way  of  either  mercies,  or  afflic- 
tions ;  they  are  ail  ^o  be  consiacied  as  dispensations 
dealt  out  to  us  by  God,  accordini^  to  the  tenor  of  the 
covenant  of  grace  ;  and  are  wisely  adiipied  to  pro- 
mote the  great  ends  of  his  glory,  and  the  best  inter- 
est of  man,  for  the  sake  of  which  the  new  covenant 
was  brought  in.  Or  in  otiier  words,  i/iey  are  mtuns 
of  grace.  They  fall  under  ti;e  general  denomination 
of  means,  which  God  is  using  with  mankind  to  sub- 
serve the  pui  poses  of  his  glory  in  the  salvation  of  sin- 
ners. 

This  is  the  light  in  which  we  are  to  view  the  com-- 
mon  bounties  ot  divine  providence.  The  ap  jstle 
represents  it  as  the  tendency  of  divine  goodne.-^s  in 
the  bestowment  of  common  bounties,  ''  l^o  lead  us  to 
repentance."  Rom.  ii.  4.  It  is  through  the  grace 
of  the  new  covenant  that  God  causeth  the  sun  to  lise 
upon  the  evil-  and  upon  the  good  ;  and  scndcth  rain 
upon  the  just,  and  upon  the  ur.just  'ihe  heathen 
nations  who  know  not  Christ*  nor  piofcss  him,  are 
partakers  of  these  benefits  of  his  mediation. 

In  the  same  light  also  are  we  to  view  the  afflictive 
dispensations  of  divine  providence.  It  belongs  to  the 
covenant  love  and  faithiuhicss  of  God,  in  son.e  cases, 
to  visit  mankind  with  afflictions.  '<  For  whom  the 
Lord  loveth,  he  chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every  son 
whom  he  rcceiveth.  God  doth  this  for  our  profit, 
that  being  chastened  of  the  Lord,  we  should  not  be 
condenmed  with  the  wicked  "  Afflictions  tend  many 
ways  to  promote  the  spiritual  good  of  mankind,  and 
great  benefits  are  many  times  received  from  them. 
Indeed,  the  curse  causeless  shall  not  come;  sin  is 
the  procuring  cause  of  them  :  but  yet,  they  are  not 
serit  properly  as  punishments,  hut  as  coi  rections  ; 
and  the  design  of  them  is  not  our  destruction,  but  our 
amendment. 

Not  only  these  lighter  strokes  of  affliction  which 
are  laid  Vipon  us  in  this  life  ;  but  also  that  bodily  death 
to  which  we  are  su'.ijecied  in  this  present  state,  is  a 
dispensation  of  God,  appointed  to  us  in  the  covenant  of 


89 

^race.  SeeinE^  death  was  (he  punishment  threatened 
for  sin,  in  the  first  covenant ;  it  iiiay  be  thought  sir  mge 
that  I  should  vepresent  it  .iS  an  appoiiitment  in  tae  cov- 
enant of  grace-  But  let  it  be  rcinembered  thattlie  death 
threatened  in  the  first  covenant,  inciu  led  the  whole 
of  tliut  punishment  vviuch  was  to  be  inOicted  on  man 
for  sin  ;  which  punishment  must  necessarily  reach 
and  lie  upon  the  soui  as  well  as  the  body.  Thede.'th 
threatened  in  t'ie  first  covenant,  contained  much 
mo''0  than  a  bodily  death.  And  further  :  When  Ood 
came  to  our  first  parents  after  the  fail,  and  had  convict- 
ed them  of  their  breach  of  tiie  covenant  ;  he  first  re- 
vealed the  covenant  cig-racej  in  the  promise  of  the  seed 
of  the  woman,  before  he  proceeded  to  pass  any  sen- 
tence upon  them  for  their  transgression.  And  as  the 
covenant  of  grace  was  then  reve  ded,  so  the  mediation 
of  Christ  then  took  place  between  God  and  m.m, 
whereby  the  execution  of  the  curse  of  the  first  cov- 
enant was  prevented  ;  and  a  new  state  ot  trial  grant- 
ed to  fallen  man,  under  the  coven  nit  of  grace.  And 
although  the  sin  of  breaking  tiie  first  covenant  was 
not  properly  pardoned  ;  yet  the  covenant  itself  was 
superseded  by  the  introduction  of  the  covenant  of 
grace  ;  and  it  remained  to  be  determined  by  their  be- 
havior under  this  second  dispensation  whether  life 
or  death  should  be  their  portion  Yet  as  ii  the  in-' 
troduction  of  the  second  covenant,  mankind  are  con- 
sidered as  having  once  stood  in  a  state  of  pi'obation 
under  the  first,  and  having  the  character  of  a  sinner 
fastened  upon  them  by  the  breach  of  it  ;  so  it  has 
seemed  good  in  the  sight  of  God  to  fix  some  lasting 
monuments  of  it  upon  mankind,  by  retaining  some  of 
the  evils  included  in  the  original  threatening  which 
might  be  consistent  with  his  gracious  purposes  in  the 
second  covenant ;  and  in  particular,  to  chastise  the 
"whole  human  race  for  the  breach  of  the  first  coven- 
ant, by  laying  upon  them  the  affliction  of  a  bodily 
death  ;  which,  although  laid  for  that  first  transgres- 
sion, yet  is  not  to  be  considered  properly  as  the  ex- 
ecution of  jhe  full  curse  of  the  first  covenant ;  but  as 
an  holy  correction  laid  upon  them  under  the  coven- 
8  ^- 


90 

ant  of  grace.  In  this  lic^ht  Moses  leads  iis  to  consid- 
er the  sentence  of  a  bodily  death  vviiich  was  pissed 
upon  the  human  race  after  the  fall.  Gen.  iii  17,  18, 
19  "  ^nd  unto  Adam  he  said,  because  thou  hast 
hearkened  to  the  voice  of  thy  wife,  and  hast  eaten  oi" 
the  tree  of  wliich  I  commanded  thee,  saying,  thou 
shalt  not  eat  of  it  :  cursed  is  the  ground  for  tliy  s  >ke  : 
in  sorrow  shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  tliy  life. 
Thorns  also  and  thistles  sb.all  it  bring  forth  *unto 
thee  :  and  thou  shalt  cat  the  herb  of  the  field.  In 
the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread,  till  thou 
return  unto  the  ground  :'  for  out  of  it  wast  thou  ta- 
ken :  for  dust  thou  art  ;  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  re- 
turn." Here  we  evidenily  see,  that  a  bodily  death 
is  numbf^red  among  the  other  sorrows  and  afliicticns 
which  m unkind  were  to  be  exercised  with  in  this  life, 
and  '.ppointed  to  them  on  the  same  footing.  These 
evils  are  far  from  being  the  full  import  of  that  threat- 
ening which  was  set  before*  Adam  in  the  first  coven- 
ant. "  In  the  day  tliat  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  sh  dt 
surely  die."  This  threatening,  as  I  have  before 
shown,  i  icludes  much  more  than  a  bodily  death,  even 
future  sufferings.  And  besiclci,  these  other  afflicdons 
€^  this  life,  are  in  otner  parts  of  the  Bible  constantly 
represented  as  the  chastisements  of  a  covenant-God. 
As  therefore  the  other  ailiictions  of  this  life,  are  the 
dealings  of  God  in  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  so  also  is 
this  of  I  bodily  death.  A  bodily  death  which  is  now 
the  common  portion  of  saints  iiud  sinners,  is  not  to 
be  looked  upon  as  that  in  which  the  full  curse  of  the 
first  covenant  is  executed  upon  mankind  :  but  it  is  to 
be  esteemed  as  ihi  appointment  of  God  in  the  coven- 
ant of  grace,  in  the  exercise  of  his  wisdom,  holiness, 
and  covenant  lore,  wusely  suiled  to  the  state  of  man- 
kind in  this  life,  to  serve  very  important  purposes 
respecting  their  probation  under  the  covenant  of 
grace.  It  is  the  present  mortality  of  mankind  that 
in  a  special  manner  awakens  sleepy  sinners,  fixes 
their  attention  upon  their  spiritual  concerns,  restrains 
their  corruptions,  and  quickens  them  to  diligence  in 
seeking  salvation.     And  it  is  many  ways  advantage- 


91 

ous  to  the  true  believer.  It  is  an  armor  ag-ainst 
temptations,  a  spur  to  his  diligence,  a  peiiod  to  his 
probation-stute,  a  release  tVom  labor,  and  a  passa^^e 
into  promised  rest.  Hence,  the  apostle  numi^ers 
death  amongst  the  privileges  granted  to  believers  in 
the  covenant  of  grace.  I.  Cor.  iii.  22,  23.  "  Wheth- 
er Paul,  or  ApoUos,  or  Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life, 
or  deatlu  or  things  present,  or  things  to  come  ;  ail  are 
yours  ;  for  ye  are  Christ's  ;  and  Cl^^rist  is  God's.'* 

As  it  has  pleased  God  to  grant  to  fallen  man  a  new 
state  of  trial  ;  so  the  period  of  life  here  allowed  us  is 
the  limiied  time  of  our  probation-state.  We  must, 
in  this  lite,  secure  our  title  to  the  blessings  set  be- 
fore us,  or  our  opportunity  f  r  it  will  be  forever  over. 
Our  present  state  of  trial  being  confined  to  this  life, 
the  lengtn  of  it  is  determined  by  the  sovereit;n  pleas- 
ure of  God  :  to  some  he  is  pleased  to  allow  a  longer, 
and  to  others  a  shorter  space  ;  reserving  tlih  among 
the  secrets  of  his  ow^n  w  ill,  that  man,  viewing  him- 
self every  moment  liable  to  die,  might  be  qiiickencd 
to  greater  diligence  in  improving  the  day  and  means 
of  grace. 

The  appointment  of  a  day  of  general  judgm.ent, 
and  of  the  resurrection  of  tlie  dead  in  order  to  it,  be- 
long to  this  new  dispensatioii.  There  was  no  men- 
tion of  these  things  in  the  first  covenant  ;  nor  did  the 
first  state  of  man  require,  or  even  admit  of  them: 
but  they  are  very  agreeable  to  our  state  of  trial  un- 
der the  new  covenant.  God  hath  appointed  a  day  in 
^vl■lich  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by 
Jesus  Christ,  w  ho  will  come  again  in  tiie  clouds  for 
that  purpose  ;  when  all  that  are  in  their  graves  biiuil 
hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  foi'th  ;  they  that  have 
doric  good,  to  the  resurrection  of  life  ;  and  they  tnat 
have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  danmation. 
The  resurrection  of  the  body  is  an  appointment  of 
the  new  covenant,  as  well  as  the  day  of  general  judg- 
ment ;  and  both  are  parts  of  that  scheme  which  di- 
vine wisdom  hath  laid  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  under 
which  mankind  are  now  made  pro!)ationei  s  :  There- 
fore all,  both  good  and  bad,  shall  share  in  them  as  the 


92 

fruit  and  effect  of  Chrisi's  bein,^  made  their  coven- 
ant-head in  this  dispensation.  And  thus  the  words  of 
our  text  will  Le  ni.de  good  in  their  fullest  import. 
"  For  since  by  man  cam'15  death,  by  man  came  also 
the  resurrection  of  the  de^d.  For  as  in  Adam  all 
die,  so  in  Christ  shull  all  be  made  alive  " 

3.  This  new  co\  enu.nt  is  the  rule  of  God's  moral 
government  over  the  world.  God's  moral  govern- 
ment is  his  government  over  moral  agents.  And 
here,  man  only  falls  under  our  present  consideration. 
By  the  moral  law  is  commonly  meant  thyt  rule  of 
righteousness  between  God  and  man,  which  is  found- 
ed in,  and  arises  from  the  reason  and  nv.ture  of  things. 
Thus,  man  was  created  under  such  bonds  of  duly  to 
his  Creator  ;  yea,  aiid  he  necessarily  remains  so,  un- 
der all  the  particular  forms  of  divine  government 
which  God  hath  appointed  to  him.  The  tenor  of  the 
law  is,  "  The  man  that  doth  them,  shall  live  in  them  : 
But  cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all 
things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do 
them." 

Man  being  at  first  made  under  the  law,  whilst  he  re- 
mained so  could  expect  nothing  more  in  consequence 
of  his  obedience,  than  to  be  preserved  in  b.is  then  pre- 
sent state  of  happiness  so  long  as  he  connmied  obe- 
dient :  but  en  the  first  offence  he  weuld  tail  under 
the  curse.  But  the  appointment  of  a  particular  test, 
and  subjrinlng  a  promise  of  life  as  the  reward  of  obe- 
dience, and  the  threatening  oi  death  as  the  punish- 
ment of  sin,  according  to  tlie  behavior  of  man  during 
a  certain  term  of  time,  did  so  alter  the  tenor  of  the 
divine  government,  as  to  make  it  of  the  nature  of  a 
covenant  ;  although  the  same  rule  of  duty  tht  laiv^ 
continued  under  this  new  form.  Tnis  was  the  case 
when  God  entered  into  a  covenant  of  life  and  death 
wirh  our  first  parents  ;  the  whole  law  still  remained 
as  (.heir  rule  of  duty,  although  their  tried  for  life  or 
death  was  contracted  to  a  single  point,  as  has  been 
before  observed  ;  and  thei'^  obligations  to  obedience 
to  the  whole  law  were  increased  by  uie  favors  grant- 


93 

ed  in  that  covenant.  So  likeT^'ise,  ^vhen  God  brought 
in  the  covenant  of  grace  upon  the  full  of  man  ;  the 
moral  law  still  remained  hU  rule  of  duty,  in  this  new 
covenunt-forin.  I'lie  moral  law  is  put  into  the  hand 
of  Christ,  and  is  the  law  of  the  Redeemer's  king- 
dom ;  and  every  trunstrresbion  of  it  is  a  sin  ac^ainst 
the  divine  authority  exercised  over  man,  in  this  cov- 
enant. For  the  moiiil  lav/  belongs  to.  and  is  included 
in  the  covenant  of  grace,  as  the  rule  of  duty  there  set 
before  us.  It  is  by  Christ's  anthoiity  this  rule  of 
duly  is  enjoined  upon  us;  our  conforuiiiy  to  it  is 
properly  obedience  to  him  ;  and  throuti,h  tiic  influ- 
ence of  his  mediation,  the  motives  to  cb.edicnce, 
/ironiisf's  and  i/i'-tatenigs,  now  take  lidld  of  us,  and 
and  become  effectual  upon  us.  Hence,  our  obedi- 
ence to  it  is  siyled,  The  obcditncc  of  Jai*h  ;  faith  in 
the  heart  is  tlie  root  and  principle  from  whence  all 
holy  obdience  to  the  lasv  ariscth. 

Some  pracdc;:!  writers  have  distin punished  betweerk 
the  law  and  gospel,  as  being;  two  dif'tinct  rules  of  life 
to  mankind  :  and  they  represent  soUiC  things  as  du- 
ties required  by  the  law,  and  others  as  being  rcquiied 
by  the  gospel.  But  whatever  advant -ges  may,  in 
some  respects,  arise  from  these  distinctions  ;  yet 
tisey  ought  to  l>e  made  with  the  greatest  c;.ution,  lest 
Nve  thereby  darken  our  conceptions  of  the  rule  of  our 
duty,  and  tiie  tenor  of  the  divine  government.  It  is 
m.-nifestly  absurd  to  represent  two  distinct  and  in- 
corisistent  forms  of  divine  government  as  being  in 
force  at  the  s^me  time  The'original  form  of  divi.ie 
government  hi  the  moral  law,  piomising  life  to  the 
obedient,  ajid  threatening  death  to  the  offendtr,  is 
very- different  from  the  form  of  divine  government 
set  forth  in  the  gospel,  which  sets  up  the  Mediator 
as  universal  king,  promising  life  to  them  that  believe 
on  him,  and  cursiiig  every  unbeliever,  it  gi\es  a 
very  disagieeable  chur.xter  oft!.«di\iv)e  Being,  to 
repiesent  i'.im  as  holding  mankin^l  under  t^o  surh 
widely  differing  fomis  of  govern^nent  at  the  S"  c 
lime.     This  is  an  absurdity  which  has  not  been.stifr 


94 

^ciently  attended  lo.  The  various,  glorious  and  ex- 
alted characters  under  which  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
is  descriDed  to  us  in  the  t;-ospei,  evidently  show  that 
the  dispensation  which  he  has  brought  in,  is  the  pre- 
sent plan  of  the  divine  government.  The  laws  that  we 
are  under  as  the  rule  of  life,  must  be  considered  as 
the  laws  of  Christ.  Christ  is  king  in  his  own  king- 
rlom  :  no  laws  but  his  can  be  binding  upon  the  subjects 
of  his  own  kingdom.  It  is  inconsistent  with  our  al- 
legiance to  him,  to  be  in  subjection  to  any  foreign 
government.  The  law  of  nature  therefore  is  the  law 
of  Christ,  enjoined  upon  us  by  his  authority,  and  pre- 
scribed in  the  covenant  of  grace  as  the  rule  of  duty 
for  us  to  walk  by. 

This  dispensation  of  redeeming  grace  enforceth 
the  rule  of  duty  upon  us  by  promises  and  threaten- 
ings.  Some  have  entertained  such  a  contracted  no- 
tion of  the  covenant  of  grace,  as  to  confine  it  to  a  cov- 
enant-closure with  Jesus  Christ,  and  containing  liitle 
or  nothing  more  than  promiiies  of  salvation  to  belie- 
vers. But  I  apprehend,  a  little  consideration  might 
convince  us,  that  commands  and  threatenings  belong 
to  it,  as  well  as  promises.  Indeed,  as  it  was  the  sub- 
joining of  promises  and  threatenings  to  the  behavior 
of  man  upon  trial,  which  at  first  changed  the  tenor  of 
the  divine  government  from  that  of  mere  law,  to  be 
of  the  nature  of  a  covenant  ;  so  every  particular 
promise  of  any  good  thing  may  be  considered  as  a  dis- 
tinct covenant :  because  every  one  that  has  those  dis- 
tinguishing qualifications  to  which  particular  prom- 
ises have  an  express  refeience,  may  be  said  to  have  a 
covenant-right  to  the  thing  promised.  And  in  this 
way  wc  may  make  out  as  many  covenants  as  there 
are  promises.  And  to  this  the  apostle  gives  some 
countenunce,  by  speaking  of  the  Covenan-  of  firomise^ 
in  the  plural  number.  But  still  it  must  be  remem- 
bered, that  all  t!ie*  promises  made  to  fallen  man  be- 
long to  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  are  predicated 
upon  the  mediation  of  Jesus  Claist.  And  threaten- 
ings of  punishment  for  sin  belong  to  the  same  con- 


<)5 

3titution  as  the  prondses  ;  promises  and  threaten* 
itti^s  uie  counteip.its  to  eacii  ether  1.  bciojii^s  to 
the  iiiecliaiorial  ctlicc  ot  Ci^srist,  to  ie\ eal  the  wiath  of 
God  fVoiii  htaven  cigc  mst  the  uiit;o'ihnesb  and  un- 
rii^hteousnebs  ol  iiien,  as  weil  as  to  set  forth  promis- 
es ot"  nieicy  to  the  penitent  believer.  He  was  sent 
into  the  world,  to  firocMim  the  acccfitablc  year  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  day  of  vengeance  0/ our  God,  These 
things  make  it  manifest,  that  the  threatenings  con- 
tained in  the  word  of  Gud  belong  to  the  covenant  of 
gi  ace,  as  well  as  the  promises  :  and  this  shows  that 
the  covenant  of  i^race  can  condemn  as  well  as  justify. 
The  wicked  in  the  day  of  judgment,  will  stand  con- 
demned by  the  same  rule  by  which  the  righteous 
shall  be  justified. 

4.  This  dispensation  w  hich  is  brought  in  by  the 
Mediator,  is  that  divine  constitution  under  which 
mankind  are  put  into  a  state  of  pi  obation  for  life  or 
dcc-.th.  I  have  oiten  had  occasion,  in  the  preceding 
discourse,  to  mention  our  being  probationers  under 
the  covenant  cf  grace  :  but  a  matter  ot  this  import- 
ance deserves  a  particular  consideration. 

When  Adam  broke  the  first  covenant,  that  dispen- 
sation was  superseded  by  the  introduction  of  the  cov- 
enant of  graoe.  Life  or  death  no  longer  depended 
upon,  nor  were  connected  with  that  particular  test  of 
obedience  set  forth  in  the  first  covenant.  Indeed, 
the  first  covenant  was  not  abolished,  nor  Adam's 
breach  of  it  pardoned  :  but  in  the  introduction  of  the 
second  covenant,  man  was  considered  as  a  transgres- 
sor of  the  first.  That  first  covenant  has  so  far  had 
its  influence,  as  to  fix  the  character  of  a  sinner,  and  to 
fasten  the  guilt  of  the  breach  of  it  upon  mankind  ; 
although  his  life  or  death  no  longer  depend  upon  his 
behavior  respecting  that  particular  test  of  obedience 
specified  in  it.  God  foresaw  the  fall  of  Adam,  and  in 
the  eternal  counsels  of  the  divine  mind  provided  a  rem- 
edy for  him,  in  purposing  to  send  his  Son  to  redeem 
and  save  fallen  man,  by  the  introduction  of  the  second 
covenant.     And  as  it  was  the  introduction  of  this  ne>v 


96 

dispensation  that  prevented  the  execution  of  the 
curse  upon  Adam,  and  made  way  for  his  posterity  to 
be  born  into  the  vvoiid  according-  to  the  course  of  or- 
dinary i^eneration,  t'j  enjoy  a  time  of  trial  under  tlie 
covenant  ot  i^race  :  therefore  the  liii,ht  in  which  we 
aie  to  view  munkincl,  is  not  as  liaving  been  only  in 
connexion  with  the  first  Adam,  and  in  a  state  of  ruin 
by  i;is  breach  of  co\i  nant  ;  but  also,  as  in  connexion 
with  the  second  Adam,  the  i^ord  Jtsus  Christ,  ani  in 
a  state  of  probation  imder  his  tnedi.tion.  We  are 
born  pr(.b.  tioners  for  life  or  death  uiuier  the  coven- 
ant oi  grace,  wJnch  is  the  rule  of  the  divine  f;overn- 
mei;t  over  us  iri  Uiis  life,  and  ti^e  i  uie  by  wdiich  cur 
final  stale  shall  be  juciged  and  determined  in  the  day 
of  judgment. 

Although  the  rule  of  duly  set  us  to  walk  by  in  the 
covenant  of  gvace.  takes  in  the  wiioie  will  of  God, 
and  requires  universal  holiness  ;ind  perfect  obedi- 
ence ;  >et  it  has  not  made  our  performance  of  re- 
quired obedience  the  condition  of  life,  or  tlie  term  on 
which  we  shall  enjoy  the  salvation  offeied  in  the  gos- 
pel. Under  the  nrst  covenajit,  perfect  obedience  to 
the  wtiole  will  of  God,  was  the  duty  of  man  ;  yet  his. 
probation  for  life  or  death  (as  Jias  been  shown)  was 
limited  to  the  particular  precepts  relating  to  the  tree 
of  life,  and  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil. 
And  thus  it  is  in  the  covenant  of  grr.ce  ;  perfect  obe- 
dience to  the  will  of  God  is  still  our  duty  :  yet  our 
trial  for  life  or  death  is  limited  lo  a  single  point  ; 
viz.  Union  wilh  Jesus  Christ  by  faith.  As  the  first 
covenant  was  made  with  Adaui,  as  the  covenant  ht  ad 
of  mankind  ;  so  the  seccaid  coveriant  is  made  wiiii 
Christ,  as  a  new  covenant-head.  Our  union  vviil'.  the. 
fijst  Adam  was  the  ioundation  of  our  ruin  through 
his  apojtacy  ;  and  so  our  union  v.  ith  the  second 
Adam  by  faith,  is  the  foundation  of  our  recovery  ,aid 
salvation,  through  his  obedience.  Christ  stanus  re- 
lated, in  some  sense,  to  ail  mankind,  as  their  coven- 
ani-head  ;  in  that  it  was  Ids  stanciiiig  in  this  cap^ti  y, 
th-at  prevented  the  human  race  from  becoming  ex- 


87 

iinct  by  the  immediate  death  of  Adam  after  liis  fall  ; 
and  made  way  for  his  posterity  to  be  born.  But 
there  is  a  union  with  Christ  of  a  higher  kind,  a  mor- 
al, voluntary  inward  union  of  heart  ;  which  is  the 
distinguishing  character  of  a  believer. 

Faith  in  the  general  notion  of  it,  is  a  firm  belief  of 
the  truth  of  the  things  which  God  has  revealed  to  us 
in  his  word  ;  which  shall  cause  them  to  have  an  ef- 
fectual influence  on  the  heart.  That  belief  of  the 
gospel  as  true,  v/hich  does  not  cause  the  truths  in  it  to 
have  their  proper,  effectual  influence  on  the  heart,  is 
not  faith,  in  a  gospel  sense.  According  to  this  gen- 
eral account  of  faith,  it  appears  that  many  and  various 
exercises  of  heart  are  included  in  it.  But  that  faith 
in  particular  which  is  of  such  special  importance  in 
the  covenant  of  reconciliation,  as  being  the  peculiar 
point  of  trial  to  man  in  his  present  state  of  probation, 
is  such  a  belief  of  the  report  of  the  gospel  concern- 
ing Christ,  as  that  the  heart  is  pleased  with  him,  and 
receives  him  in  all  his  oflices  and  relations,  in  which 
lie  is  offered  to  us  in  the  gospel.  When  this  faith 
towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  takes  place,  we  shall 
cordially  join  in  with  him  in  the  same  cause  and  in- 
terest ;  the  effect  of  which  will  be,  that  we  shall 
walk  even  as  he  walked.  Herein  there  is  inward, 
hearty,  spiritual  union  with  Christ  in  the  new  cov- 
enant. 

This  spiritual  union  with  Jesus  Christ  here  briefly 
described,  is  the  faith  to  which  the  promises  of  sal- 
vation are  made  in  the  gospel  ;  and  all  the  descrip- 
tions of  a  saving  faith  contained  in  the  gospel, 
agree  with  this  representation  of  it.  And  that  this 
faith  is  the  special  test  prescribed  in  the  covenant  of 
grace,  or  the  point  in  particular  on  v/hich  our  salva- 
tion, or  condemnation  depends,  1  shall  endeavor  to 
evince  by  the  following  considerations. 

1.  This  appears  to  be  the  particuhir  testtn  the 
covenant  of  grace,  fi'om  att^ dieting  'jo  the  character 
and  offices  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  first  and 
leading  character  in  which  Christ  appears  ia  his  in- 

9 


m 

.U'oducing  the  dispensation  of  redeeming  ^race,  is 
thai  ol  u  covcnanL-heud.  For  the  new  covenant  is 
firstly  made  with  him,  as  the  head  and  representative 
of  his  people  ;  and  he  is  to  act  in,  and  transacl  the 
aft'.irs  of  the  covenant  for  them.  And  this  title  of 
covenant-head,  with  his  other  titles  and  offices,  show 
th«t  his  obedience  is  the  li^hieousness  by  which  his 
people  are  justified,  his  sufferings  are  the  atonement 
on  c.ccuunt  of  which  their  sins  are  pardoned,  and  his 
mediation  is  the  foundation  of  their  acceptance  with 
God  ;  Therefore  he  is  ihe  Lord  our  rig/Ufoiisncss  ; 
he  is  the  firojiitiation  for  our  sins  j  and  he  is  our  ad' 
•vacate  with  the  leather  :  all  which  make  it  evident 
that  our  pardon,  justification,  and  acceptance  with 
God,  flow  from,  and  are  the  eifects  of  his  mediation. 
And  if  these  benefits  are  procured  for  us  by  Christ's 
mediatorial  work,  it  is  evident  our  dependence  for 
obtaining  them,  must  be  grounded,  not  upon  any 
thing  which  we  do  for  ourselves  ;  but  upon  what 
Christ  has  done  and  is  doing  for  us.  And  for  this 
cause,  we  are  so  abundantly  cautioned  against  a  legal 
self-righteous  spirit,  which  inclines  us  to  substitute 
some  doings  or  attainments  of  our  own,  as  the  foun- 
dation of  our  hope,  instead  of  the  righteousness  and 
merit  of  Christ ;  which  disposition  is  properly  oppo- 
sition of  heart  to  the  way  of  life  by  Christ.  By  act- 
ing under  the  influence  of  such  a  spirit,  we  impose 
upon  ourselves  a  m.uch  more  difficult  condition  of 
life  than  God  laid  upon  man  in  his  innocent  state. 
Adam's  trial  was  confined  to  a  single  point  ;  but 
here  we  set  ourselves  the  task  of  keeping  the  whole 
law.  But  a  due  acknowledgment  of  Christ  in  his 
mediatorial  characters  evidently  implies  the  renoun- 
cing all  confidence  in  the  flesh,  and  placing  our  whole 
hope  and  dependence  on  him. 

As  the  mediatorial  offices  and  work  of  Christ  is 
the  meritorious  and  procuring  cause  of  all  divine  fa- 
vor, and  savhig  mercies  ;  therefore  il  is  necessary 
^ve  should  be  united  to  him  by  laith,  in  gospel-iellow- 
ship,  that  we  may  receive  those  benefits  through 


99 

liim.  And  accordingly  this  matter  is  conSrmed  by 
the  tenor  ot  the  call  ot  God  to  sinners,  in  the  .^'Osptrl. 
Matt.  xi.  28.  "  Come  unto  mc  all  ye  that  labor  and 
iire  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  s^ive  you  rest."  And  very 
express  to  the  purpose  arc  those  words  of  the  apostle 
in  1.  Corinth  i.  9.  "  God  is  faithful,  by  whom  ye 
are  called  uiito  the  fellowship  of  his  Son,  Cnrist  Je- 
sus our  Lord."  In  these  words  there  is  an  allusion 
to  fellowship  which  is  practised  among  men.  When 
a  numberof  menjoinin  fellowship,  they  put  their  seve- 
ral interests  into  one  common  stock,  have  one  com- 
mon hue  rest,  and  all  pursue  one  common  design  ; 
and  such  a  federal  union  takes  place  among  them, 
that  if  one  makes  a  good  bargain,  they  all  share  the 
benefit  of  it  ;  if  one  contracts  a  debt,  they  ali  stand 
obliged  for  the  payment  ;  and  if  one  makes  payment, 
they  are  all  discharged.  And  in  allusion  to  these 
things,  we  are  called  of  God,  unto  fellovv^shin  with  his 
Son,  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  He  took  our  nature  on 
him,  and  came  into  fellowship  with  us,  in  our  fallen 
sinful  state,  by  becoming  our  covenant-head  ;  and  be- 
ing thus  nuni'oered  with  transgressors,  he  became 
liable  to  pay  our  debts  to  divine  justice  ;  for  which 
cause  he  bore  our  sin  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree, 
and  was  made  a  curse  for  us.  And  the  end  for 
which  he  entered  into  this  fellowiihip  with  sinners, 
was  that  they  also  might  join  in,  and  enjoy  lellowship 
with  him,  in  the  merits  of  his  holy  obedience  and 
sufferings.  By  being  united  to  Christ  in  the  new 
covenant,  v/e  er,j  -y  tellowship  with  him  m  all  the 
privileges  and  benefits  of  his  mediation  :  our  sins  are 
pardoned,  we  are  justified,  have  peace  v/ith  God, 
are  admitted  as  his  children,  have  the  spirit  of  his 
Son  sent  into  our  hearts,  and  are  made  heirs  of  God, 
and  joint-heirs  with  Jesus  Christ. 

2.  Union  to  Jesus  Christ  by  faith,  appears  to  be 
the  special  point  of  trial  set  forth  in  the  covenant  of 
grace,  from  this  consideration,  T/iai  there  is  forgive" 
?ies{i  of  Hns  granted  to  us  in  that  covenant.  Perfect 
obedience  to  the  will  of  God  is  unchangeably  the  duty 


100 

of  man.  In  tlie  first  covenant,  although  inaH  was  pujc 
upon  trial  only  in  a  single  point ;  yet  he  was  not  left 
without  a  rule  to  walk  by  in  other  matters  :  but  per- 
fect obedience  to  the  whole  will  of  God  was  still  h^s 
duty  ;  whilst  the  perfection  of  his  obedience  w^is  put 
to  trial  but  in  a  single  instance.  So  it  is  likewise  in 
the  Covenant  of  grace.  Perfect  obedience  is  still  our 
duty  :  yet  our  yielding  this  perfect  obedience  is  not 
made  the  condition  of  life.  Our  trial  for  life  or  death 
is  contracted  to  the  single  point  of  union  with  Christ 
by  faith  :  and  yet,  the  rule  set  us  to  walk  by,  req^uires 
perfect  obedience.  And  it  is  because  our  trial  for 
life  or  death  is  confined  to  a  single  point,  that  there 
is  any  loom  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  for  the  exercise 
of  God*s  pardoning  mercy  to  sinners.  The  great  in- 
quiry to  be  made  in  the  day  of  judgment,  into  our 
conduct  in  our  probation-state,  in  order  to  determine 
whether  life  or  death  shall  be  our  portion,  is  not, 
Hoiv  inani/  dnHrs  ivc  haije  performed  _,-  or  Hoiv  inany 
sins  ive  havff  committed  :  But  it  will  be,  TVhcCacr  ive 
have  believed  in  C/nist. 

Perfect  obedience  Is  manifestly  our  duty  in  our 
present  state  of  trial,  because  we  are  required  to  re- 
per  of  ail  that  imperiection  v/hich  is  found  in  our 
performances.  But  if  any  obedience  which  is  short 
of  perfection,  did  come  up  to  the  demands  v/hich  are 
made  upon  us  in  the  rule  of  duty  which  is  set  us  to 
w^alk  by,  there  would  be  no  need  of  repenting  of  that 
imperfection  which  is  found  in  our  obedience.  For 
"where  there  is  no  law,  there  can  be  no  transgression. 
But  if  the  law  does  not  require  perfection  from  us, 
our  iniperfection  cannot  be  a  transgression  of  it. 
But  it  is  evident  that  every  imperfection  which  at- 
tends our  obedience  is  sinful  in  the  sight  of  God,  and 
we  are  required  to  repent,  that  we  may  be  pardoned. 
God  hath  made  provision  in  the  new  covenant,  by  the 
atonement  of  Christ's  blood  for  the  exercise  of  his 
pardoning  mercy  in  the  forgiveness  ofsuis  ;  yea  Je- 
sus Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  even  tlie  chief 
©f  sinners  ;  therefore  whosoever  wilh  though  Uis  sins 


101 

are  as  scarlet,  and  red  like  crimson,  may  come,  and 
receive  a  tree  p.irdon 

Such  ample  proviiion  bein?^  made  for  the  pirdon 
of  the  repentin'^'  and  returning  sinner,  it  is  aa  evident 
consequence  that  our  pardon,  acceptance  with  God, 
and  title  to  life  do  not  depend  upon  our  own  ri  ^nt- 
eousness,  or  our  performing-  the  duties  required  of  us 
in  that  rule  of  duty  set  us  to  walk  by  in  our  present 
state  :  but  they  must  depend  upon  what  Christ  has 
done  for  us,  by  whom  these  privileges  are  procured  : 
from  all  which  it  is  :in  evident  consequence,  that  our 
interest  in  Christ,  or  union  to  him  by  faith,  is  the 
turning  point  on  which  our  life  or  death  depends. 
Very  express  to  this  point,  is  that  text  in  John  iii.  18, 
"  He  that  belie veth  on  him,  is  not  condemned  :  but 
he  that  believeth  not,  is  condemned  already  ;  because 
he  haih  not  believed  in  the  name  of  the  only  begot- 
ten Son  of  God." 

3.  It  appears  that  union  with  Christ  by  faith,  is  the 
special  point  of  trial  in  our  probation-state  ;  because 
all  the  promises  of  special  favor  are  made  to  believ- 
ers "  He  that  believeth,  and  is  baptized,  shall  be 
saved  :  but  he  that  believeth  not,  shall  be  damned. 
JJy  him,  all  that  believe  are  justified.  There  is  now 
no  condemnation  to  thsni  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus." 
Our  interest  in  all  the  blessings  of  a  complete  salva- 
tion, is  represented  as  depending  upon  our  union  v/ith 
Cnrist.  Gal.  iii.  29.  "  If  ye  be  Christ's,  then  ye  are 
Abraham's  seed,and  heirs  according  to  the  promise.** 
Yea,  as  Christ  is  constituted  the  covenant-head  of 
mankind  in  this  dispensation  of  redeeming  grace ;  so  all 
the  promises  of  it  are  made  to  him,  and  through  him 
to  them  that  are  united  to  him  by  faith.  Gal.  iii.  16. 
"  Now  to  Abraham,  and  to  his  seed,  were  the  prom- 
ises made.  He  saith  not.  And  to  seeds,  as  of  many  : 
but  as  of  one,  and  to  thy  seed,  which  is  Christ.''  Here 
Christ  is  pointed  out  as  the  seed,  to  whom  the  prom- 
ises of  the  covenant  are  made.  But  then,  we  are  not 
to  understand  the  seed  to  be  Christ  personally  :  but 
Christ  mystically  J   including  all  sucli  as  are  united 

9  * 


102 

to  him,  and  made  members  of  that  body  of  which  he 
is  the  head. 

4.  Union  with  Christ  by  faith  is  our  special  pbint 
of  trial  because  this  faith  is  the  root  and  principle  of 
universal  holiness.  This  faith  is  a  covenant-closure 
with  Christ,  or  such  an  hearty  receiving;  of  him,  and 
devoting  ourselves  to  him  in  all  his  offices,  as  inclines 
the  soul  to  return  to  God  through  him,  and  to  join 
heartily  with  him,  in  hib  cause  and  interest.  And 
when  this  faith  comes  to  be  acted  upon  in  the  various 
occasions  of  life,  it  will  bring  forth  the  good  fruit  of 
new  obedience.  Good  works,  (sucii  as  are  good  in  a 
gospel-sense)  do  not  go  before,  but  do  follow  after, 
and  flow  from  faith.  The  believer  is  the  workman- 
ship of  God,  created  in  Christ  .Tesus,  unto  good  works. 
And  for  this  reason,  new  obedience  ii  so  abundantly 
insisted  upon,  as  the  principal  evidence  of  our  title 
to  life  ;  because  it  is  the  sure  evidence,  and  genuine 
fruit  of  that  faith  which  savingly  unites  the  soul  to 
Jesus  Christ. 

5.  This  faith  which  unites  the  soul  to  Christ,  is  pro- 
perly the  point  of  our  triul  in  tne  new  covenant,  be- 
cause, in  the  first  act  of  it,  the  whole  imuge  and  like- 
ness of  God  on  the  soul  is  included,  complete  in  all 
its  parts,  though  greatly  defective  in  degree.  In  the 
trial  of  the  obedience  of  Adam,  under  the  first  cove- 
nant, ahhough  his  obedience  was  not  brought  upon 
trial  in  every  point  of  duty  ;  yet  that  one  point  con- 
tained a  full  trial  of  the  perfection  of  his  obedience, 
and  gave  him  an  opportunity  either  to  exercise  and 
express  the  several  properties  of  the  image  of  God 
in  which  he  was  created  or  to  counteract  them  His 
dependence  upon  God,  his  complacency  in  him,  his 
subjection  to  him,  and  the  purity  and  integrity  of  his 
whole  heart  were  there  put  to  the  trial.  So  likewise 
in  our  trial  under  the  new  covenant,  in  which  believ- 
ing is  the  special  point ;  therein  we  shall  exercise 
and  express  the  complete  moral  image  of  God  in  all 
its  essential  properties.  And  as  all  the  essential  pro- 
perties of  the  divine  image  take  place  in  the  soul, 


103 

tijion,  or  ill  the  first  act  of  believing  ;  so  we  shall  be; 
hereby  led  to  such  a  conduct  as  will  express  and 
manifest  this  coniorniity  to  God,  in  the  several  actions 
and  on  the  various  occasion.s  of  lilc.  Our  trial  v/ith 
respect  to  believing  or  not  believing-  in  the  name  Oi' 
the  Son  of  God,  is  a  proper  and  full  ui.d  of  our  con- 
formity to  God  AUho'  therefore  our  trial  is  brought 
into  such  a  narrow  compass,  and  confined  to  a  single 
point  ;  yet  it  is  so  ordered,  that  the  nature  of  this 
union  with  Christ  will  answer  all  the  salutary  purpo- 
ses of  the  grace  of  God  ;  it  will  effectually  secure  the 
honor  of  the  divine  government,  and  restore  the  be- 
lieving soul  to  a  conformity  to  God  in  the  practice  of 
universal  holiness. 

Thus  graciously  has  God  dealt  with  mankino'  both 
in  the  first  and  second  covenant,  as  not  to  let  his  trial 
for  life  or  death  lie  at  large,  and  exteiid  to  the  whole 
compass  of  his  duty ;  but  has  in  both,  limited  it  to  a  sin- 
gle point  In  the  first  covenant,  the  trial  was  conSn- 
cd  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  the  tree  of  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil ;  and  in  the  new  covenant,  the  trial  for 
life  or  death  is  confined  to  a  single  point  of  faith  in 
Christ  ;  he  is  the  tiue  tree  of  life,  of  which  we  may 
cat  and. live  forever. 

As  Adam  finished  his  state  of  trial  under  the  first 
covenant,  when  he  broke  it  ;  so  we  may  be  said,  in  a 
sense,  to  have  finished  our  trial  under  the  covenant 
of  grace,  when  we  become  united  to  Jesus  Christ. 
For  then,  Ave  obtain  a  saving  interest  in  him.  it 
thereby  becomes  a  determined  point  that  life  shall  be 
our  portion,  according  to  the  tenor  of  the  many  gra- 
cious promises  made  to  believers.  In  a  larger  sense, 
ail  mankind  may  be  said  to  be  interested  in  Chri-.t, 
and  to  partake  of  many  benefits  through  liim.  For 
it  is  through  him,  we  receive  this  present  life,  with  all 
the  comforts  and  enjoyments  ot  it  ;  and  througl)  him, 
we  enjoy  the  day  of  grace,  and  the  n. cans  of  grace. 
Yet  there  is  a  special  sense,  in  which  believers  may 
be  said  to  be  interested  in  him,  which  is  peculiar  to 
such,  on  accotuit  of  ilic  many  great  and  precious  pro- 


104 

mises  made  to  believing,  both  of  grace  here,  and  glo- 
ry heieaftcr.  When  therefore  we  become  united  to 
Christ  by  i"aithj  our  probation  may  be  said  to  be  fin- 
ished, so  far  that  it  is  become  a  determined  matter, 
or  settled  point,  that  we  shall  inherit  eternal  life. 
Indeed,  "  He  that  endureth  to  the  end  shall  be  sa- 
ved." Perseverance  must  be  maintained,  that  we 
may  inherit  the  promises.  But  tiiai  communion 
with  God.  and  the  indwelling  influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  heart,  by  which  believers  shall  be  kept 
from  total  and  final  upostacy,  is  one  of  the  privileges 
promised  to  believers  in  the  new  covenant.  There- 
fore, notwithstandig  the  necessity  of  persevering, 
the  title  to  eteinal  life  becomes  sure,  upon  the  first 
act  of  faith,  liut  although  eternal  life  is  the  sure 
portion  of  the  believer,  according  to  God's  promise  ; 
yet  the  reward  in  glory  shall  be  according  to  their 
works.  Their  fruitlulness  in  holiness  is  that  by 
which  their  degree  in  glory  shall  be  proportioned. 
The  believer  then,  in  this  respect,  is  still  in  a  state  of 
trial  for  his  future  reward  ;  and  will  be,  till  death  puts 
a  complete  end  to  his  piobation  :  but  after  union  with 
Christ,  his  probation  is,  in  some  respects,  very  dif- 
ferent from  what  it  was  before. 

The  method  v/hich  many  practical  writers  have  ta- 
ken, is  to  divide  mankind  into  two  great  classes,  be- 
lievers, and  unbelievers  ;  believers  are  represented 
as  being  under  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  and  unbeiiev- 
ei's,  under  the  law,  as  being  somc-ho-iv^  a  covenant  of 
Avorks.  These  two  classes  are  considered  as  being 
under  two  different  constitutions,  or  forms  of  divine 
government  ;  and  the  law  is  considered  as  a  constitu- 
tion distinct  from  the  covenant  of  grace.  They  sup- 
pose man  in  his  natural  state,  is  under  the  law  ;  and 
stands  condemned  by  it,  to  suffer  the  wrath  of  God 
for  sin  :  but  Vvhen  he  becomes  a  believer,  he  comes 
from  under  the  law  and  is  taken  into  the  covenant  of 
grace. 

Although  this  representation  of  mankind  has,  for 
a  long  time,  passed  current  with  many,  yet  there  ap- 


105 

pears  to  mc  so  many  absurdities  in  it,  that  I  am  obUv 
ged  to  give  it  up.  For  if  tiie  moral  law  is  the  law 
of  Christ's  kingdom,  it  cannot  be  any  thing  distinct 
from,  but  must  be  part  of  the  new  dispensation  which 
is  brought  in  by  his  mediation.  Its  having  been 
binding  upon  man  before,  under  a  former  dispensa- 
tion, is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  again  taken 
into  this  second  covenant.  But  if  tlic  moral  law  is 
Dot  the  law  of  Christ's  kingdom,  then  his  subjects 
cannot  be  condemned  for  breaking  of  it.  For  to 
their  own  master  they  stand  or  fall.  It  is  inconsist- 
ent with  their  allegiance  to  Christ  that  they  should  be 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  any  foreign  power.  Be- 
sides, it  gives  a  very  disagreeable  idea  of  3o:l,  to 
represent  him  as  treating  with  man  in  his  fallen 
state,  about  the  great  concerns  of  life  and  death,  upon 
the  footing  of  the  moral  law  ;  and  a  still  more  injuri- 
ous character  to  represent  him  as  putting  man,  in  his 
fallen  state,  upon  probation  under  the  law,  and  at  the 
©aiuv;  lime  denouncing  a  curse  upon  him  becau-^rr  in? 
has  net  believed  in  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 
This  would  represent  the  divine  government  as  incon- 
sistent, absurd,  and  seir-contradictory.  Where  shall 
we  find  a  text  in  the  bible  that  represents  fallen  man  as 
being  in  a  state  of  probation  under  the  law  ?  Indeed, 
the  apostle  often  represents  the  Jevvs  as  being  under  the 
law,  and  the  Gentiles  as  being  without  law  ;  but  it  is 
easy  to  see,  that  in  such  texts,  bevic;  under  the  luix> 
means  a  visible  covenant  relation  to  God  ;  which  is 
widely  diderent  from  the  subject  v/e  are  upon.  The 
dispensation  brought  in  by  the  medicition  of  Jesus 
Christ  is,  as  1  have  shewn,  the  foundation  of  God's 
moral  government  over  the  world,  and  therefore  it 
nuvst  be  the  constitution  under  which  v^'e  are  proba- 
tioners for  eternity,  and  by  which  we  must  be  accord- 
ingly judged  in  the  last  day.  The  covemmt  of  grace 
can  condemn,  as  well  as  justify.  It  contains  tlie  re- 
velation of  the  wrath  of  (lod  from  lieaven,  against 
the  ungodliness  and  unrighteousness  of  meii,  as  v/e'd 
as  promises  of  pardon  to  believers.     I'he   churacAvV 


106 

'in  which  God  has  there  revealed  himself,  is,  "  The 
Lord,  the  l.ord  (iod,  merciful  and  gracious,  long  suf- 
ferini^,  and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth,  keeping- 
mere  v  for  thousands,  forgivinj^  iniquity  and  trans- 
gression and  sin,  and  Jiat  tviii  by  no  means  clear  the 
guilty^'  Exod.  xxxiv.  6,  7.  And  when  we  eome  to 
stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  the  wicked 
will  fall  under  condemnation,  not  as  being  transgres- 
sors of  the  law,  simply  considered  :  but  as  transgres- 
sors against  the  divine  authority  exercised  over  them 
in  tlie  covenant  of  grace,  whicli  is  this  new  dispensa- 
tion brought  in  upon  the  ildl  of  Adam,  by  the  media- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ.  Thus  is  the  case  represented, 
Johui  iii.  18.  <*  He  that  believelh  on  him  is  not  con- 
demned ;  but  he  that  belie veth  not,  is  condemned 
already,'*  Why  ?  Because  he  hath  broken  the  law  ? 
No.  Biit  because  he  hath  not  believed  in  the  name 
of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God.  This  is  the  true 
reason  why  he  falls  under  condemnation,  and  re- 
£i-,ives  the  inrr.ishulent  due  lo  ;ill  his  sins. 

When  a  sinner  is  brought  to  believe  in  Jesus 
Christ,  he  th?n  passeth  from  death  to  life  ;  from  a 
stale  of  condemnation,  to  a  state  of  justiiication  ;  but 
lie  still  remains  under  the  same  plan  of  divine  go- 
vernment. His  state  is  changed,  but  this  makes  no 
change  in  the  rule  of  divine  government  over  him. 
It  was  the  covenant  of  grace  that  declared  him  to  be 
a  child  of  wrath,  in  his  natural  state  ;  and  'tis  that 
which  declares  him  to  be  a  child  of  God,  in  his  be- 
lieving state. 

All  mankind,  heathen  as  well  as  professing  chris- 
tians, are  under  this  dispensation,  the  covenant  of 
grace,  which  was  brouglit  in  by  Jesus  Christ,  after 
tlie  fall.  It  is  through  the  influence  of  the  Mediator 
that  Adam's  posterity  are  born  into  the  world  ;  the 
dispensation  of  the  new  covenant  is  the  rule  of  God's 
government  over  them  whilst  they  arc  in  the  world  ; 
and  their  slate  will  be  decided  by  it  in  the  world  to 
come.  They  Lave  not,  indeed,  the  advantage  of  ci- 
ijnc  revelation,  to  instvuct  them  in  the  knowledge  of 


107 

the  tenor  of  the  divine  governmert,  or  of  their  o\r» 
stale  of  probiiion  :  but  they  have  tac  iii^at  of  iKUiire 
for  their  guide-  vvi-ach,  as  far  as  it  goes,  teacheth 
them  the  same  tnings  as  are  taught  by  ciivinc  revela- 
tion ;  if  not  sufficient  to  make  tiiem  wise  to  salvation, 
yet  sufficient  to  leave  them  withoui  excuse.  The 
light  of  nature  teacheth  ihat  God  is  gracious  and  re- 
concilable to  sinners.  And  in  this  sense,  Christ  io 
the  light  of  the  tvorld.)  and  erdij^hteneth  every  juaii 
that  cometh  into  the  world.  For  as  it  was  througk 
the  iiifluence  of  his  mediation  that  tlie  world  was 
upheld  after  the  iali,  and  nature  preserved  ?n  its 
course  ;  therefore  the  course  of  nature,  the  sun, 
moon  and  stars,  m'ay  be  said  to  preach  the  gospel  of 
Clirist,  wherever  they  shine.  Tims  the  psalmist, 
in  showing"  how  "  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of 
Gcd,  and  the  firmament  showeth  his  handy  v.'ork,'* 
saith,  "  l  heir  line  is  gone  out  through  all  the 
earth,  and  their  words  unto  the  end  of  the  world. '^ 
Psalm,  xix.  4.  Which  is  mentioned  by  the  apostle, 
and  explained  to  be  the  preaching  of  the  gospel. — 
Rom.  X  17,  18.  "  So  then  faith  cometh  by  hearing, 
i3nd  hearing  by  the  v/ord  of  God.  But  I  say,  Have 
they  rjot  heard  ?  Yes  verily,  their  sound  went  out 
into  all  the  earth,  and  their  words  unto  the  ends  of 
the  world."  All  nature  therefore  joins  in  publishing 
the  grace  of  God  to  fallen  man  :  and  to  call  upon, 
and  invite  them  "  To  seek  the  Lord,  if  haply  they 
might  feel  after  him,  and  find  him."     Acts,  xvii.  17, 

5.  The  covenant  of  grace  is  the  foundation  on 
which  Gcd  carries  on  a  treaty  of  peace  with  fallen 
man,  in  the  covenant  of  reconciliation. 

Under  the  preceding  head,  1  have  essayed  to  prove 
that  the  covenant  of  grace  is  the  divine  constitu- 
tion under  which  God  hath  put  mankind  iivo  a  state 
of  probation  for  life  or  death  ;  that  union  to  Christ  by 
faith,  is  the  special  test  of  our  present  trial  ;  and  that 
heathens  as  well  as  Christians  are  under  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  this  dispensation.  But  when  we  consider  the 
characters  under   wLich  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is 


108 

cksciibed  to  us  in  ihe  gospel,  especially  in  tlie  exer- 
cise of  those  offices  which  iue  inckuled  in  his  media- 
torial character,  by  which  he  carries  on  a  treaty  of 
peace  with  fallen  man,  in  the  covenant  of  reconcilia- 
tion ;  it  is  easy  to  see  a  wide  difference  between  the 
\isible  covenant-people  of  God,  and  tlie  heathen  part 
of  mankind.  They  are  explicitly  taken  into  covenentj 
cind  the  ireaty  of  peace  is  actually  carried  on  with 
them  in  their  enjoyment  of  gospel  li^ht  and  privile- 
t^es,  and  communion  and  fellowship  with  the  visible 
church  :  but  the  heathen  are  aliens  from  the  com- 
monweakhof  Israel;  and  are,  in  a  great  measure, 
neglected  by  God.  But  that  I  may  proceed  in  this 
inquiry,  in  a  more  clear  and  distinct  manner,  1  shall 
range  my  thoughts  in  the  following  order. 

I.  I  shall  inquire  after  the  first  rise  of  the  visible 
church,  and  consider  why,  some  are  members  of  it, 
cind  esteemed  the  covenant  people  of  God  :  and  oth- 
ers are  not. 

II.  Show  how,  or  by  what  it  is,  that  this  visible  dis- 
tinciion  is  uiade. 

Ill  Ilcprescnt  the  great  privileges  and  advanta- 
ges which  the  members  of  the  visible  church  enjoy, 
whereby  the  treaty  of  peace  and  reconciliaiion  with 
God,  is  cariied  on  with,  and  in  a  great  measure  con- 
fined to  ihem. 

IV.  Show  what  obligations  people  are  under  to 
seek  for,  to  attend  upon,  and  to  improve  these  privi- 
leges. 

I.  I  shall  inquire  after  the  first  rise  of  the  visible 
church  ;  or  consider  why  it  is,  that  some  are  mem- 
bers of  it,  and  esteemed  the  covenant-people  of  God  : 
and  others  are  not. 

Some  will  not  allow,  any  olthe  children  of  men  are 
included  in  the  covenant  of  reconciliation,  or  do  there- 
by stand  in  a  covenant-relation  to  God,  but  such 
only,  with  v/hom  the  treaty  of  peace  is  happily  con- 
cluded, by  their  being  brought  to  that  savu)g  union 
with  Christ  by  fi^.ith,  treated  of  in  the  preceding  head 


i09 

of  this  discourse.  This  was  the  leading  point  of  dis- 
pute in  nriy  former  polemic  writings  ;  and  as  I  liuve 
no  desire  to  revive  that  dispute,  1  shall  avoid  saying 
any  thing  provoking  to  it,  so  far  as  may  be  consistent 
with  doing  justice  to  my  present  subject. 

It  is  here  necessary  to  recollect  the  distinction 
which  is  commonly  made  in  the  covenant  of  grace, which 
I  have  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  discourse  Chris- 
tian v>'riters  have  commonly  considered  the  dispen- 
sation of  the  redeeming  grace  of  God,  as  disdngtiish^ 
ed,  or  at  least,  distinguishable  into  two  parts,  or  cov- 
enants, the  one  is  the  covenant  of  redemptio]i,  the 
other  the  covenant  of  reconciliation,  of  which  I  have 
already  treated.  The  covenant  of  reconciliation,,  is 
predicated  upon  the  covenant  of  redemption  ;  or  in 
other  words,  the  treaty  of  peace  and  reconciliation 
which  God  is  carrying  on  with  manliind,  is  predica- 
ted upon  the  mediatorial  character,  offices  and  work 
of  tlie  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Nov/,  as  the  dispensation  of  redeeming  grace  was 
brought  in  consequent  upon  the  fall  of  Adam,  where- 
by he  was  reprieved  from  the  execution  of  the  curse 
of  the  first  covenant,and  room  was  made  for  his  posteri- 
ty to  be  born  into  the  world,  to  stand  probationers  on 
the  footing  of  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  so  God  began 
this  treaty  of  peace  with  Adam  by  the  revelation  of  a 
Savior,  the  promised  seed  of  the  v/oman.  This  was 
the  dispensation  which  Adam  and  his  seed  were  then 
placed  under  ;  and  hereby  they  stood  related  to  God^ 
as  his  covenant-people?  or  visible  church. 

I  conceive  there  is  some  similitude,  and  also  some 
difference  between  God's  covenanting  with  man,  and 
one  man's  covenanting  with  another.  In  man's  cov- 
enanting, one  may  propose  the  covenant :  but  the  oth- 
er is  at  liberty,  either  to  close  with  it,  or  reject  it  ; 
and  he  cannot  be  holden  by  it  till  he  has  given  his 
consent.  But  when  the  consent  is  given,  the  contract 
is  made,  and  the  parties  are  in  covenant  one  with  the 
mlier,  and  under  mutual  covenant-engagemeaits  j  y^et 
10 


110 

the  privileges  cannot  be  claimed  till  the  conditions 
are  fulfilled.  And  somewhat  similar  to  tiiis,  may  our 
relation  to  God  in  the  covenant  of  reconciliation,  be 
conceived  of.  God  sets  forth  the  blessing-s  of  his 
grace,  appoints  the  terms  on  which  these  blGssint2,s 
shall  be  enjoyed,  and  binds  himself  by  promise,  to  be- 
stow these  blessings  on  ail  such  as  comply  with  the 
iern:S  fixed.  Man  is  taken  into  this  covenant,  and 
laid  under  obligations  to  comply  with  these  terms  ; 
or  in  case  of  a  refusal,  to  suffer  accordingly  :  but  his 
title  to  the  blessings  remains  in  suspense  till  Ids 
actual  compliance  with  the  terms  fixed,  gives  him 
a  right  to  them  according  to  the  promise.  It  is 
plain,  here  is  a  real  covenant  subsisting  between  God 
and  man  ;  it  is  not  a  sham  business,  but  a  real  cove- 
nant ;  and  the  bonds  of  it  mutually  lie  upon  both  God 
and  man,  antecedent  to  man's  actual  compliance  with 
the  terms  of  reconciliation. 

And  as  God's  covenanting  wiih  man,  is  in  some  re- 
spects, like  one  man's  covenanting  with  another  ;  so 
there  are  likewise  some  respects  in  which  there  is  a 
difference.  When  God  covenants  with  man.  He 
takes  state  ujion  him^  according  to  his  glorious  majes- 
ty and  sovereign  power,  and  putsmanintoacovenant- 
relation  to  himself  by  an  act  of  sovereignty.  God 
has  never  consulted  mankind  whether  they  would  be 
in  covenant  with  him  or  not  :  but  by  his  own  sove- 
reign authority,  has  laid  his  covenant  upon  them. 
They  have  no  right  to  dispute  the  matter  with  him  ; 
nor  so  much  as  to  deliberate  whether  they  will  be  in 
covenant  with  him  or  not.  This  was  the  case  in  the 
first  covenant,  made  with  Adam  ;  it  was  laid  upon 
him  merely  by  divine  authority  Gen.  ii.  16,  i7. 
«  And  the  Lord  God  commanded  the  man  saying,'*&;c. 
And  in  like  manner  was  he  put  under  the  covenant  of 
grace,  alter  his  fall,  by  sovereign  authority,  without 
conaulting  nis  will  in  the  least,  about  it.  This  was 
also  the  case  v/hen  God  took  Abraham  and  his  seed, 
into  covenant  j  that  dispensation  of  the  covenant  was 


Hi 

ffom  God's  soverei^ity  alone.  That  God  has  dealt 
thus  m  the  dispensations  of  his  covenant,  is  evident 
from  incontestible  facts  ;  and  that  he  has  a  right  so  to 
do,  none  surely,  will  dispute.  Such  as  would  exclude 
all  mankind  but  true  believers,  from  being  in  cove- 
nant with  God,  under  the  covenant  of  grace,  hold, 
that  some  consent  on  our  part,  is  necessary  to  the 
being  of  a  covenant- relation  to  God  ;  and  I  grant,  our 
concurrence  is  necessary  to  our  being  entitled  to  the 
special  blessings  promised  in  that  covenant  :  but  to 
make  this  an  objection  against  the  being  of  a  cove- 
nant-relation, is  to  dispute  against  undeniable  facts; 
and  all  objections  of  this  kind  may  be  justly  silenced 
by  the  sovereign,  absolute  authority  of  God,  in  laying 
this  covenant  on  man,  whose  injunction  supplies  the 
place  of  all  human  engagements,  as  to  the  actual  ex* 
istence  of  thecov€imt!t. 

As  Adam  was  put  into  this  new  covenant-relation 
to  God,  and  the  vi^ible  church,  and  treaty  of  peace 
we!*e  begun  with  him,  under  which  he  was  to  stand  a 
probationer  for  the  rewards  or  punishments  of'  eter- 
nity ;  so  his  children  also  were  born  in  the  same  state, 
and  covenant-relation  to  God,  ihat  he  was  in  ;  and 
v/ere  the  real  church,  or  covenant-people  of  God. 
This  was  the  case  with  all  his  posterity  till  Cain  went 
out  from  the  presence  of  the  Lo^d,  renounced  and 
fos'sook  this  covenant  of  reconciliation,  and  rejectetl 
the  treaty  of  peace  ;  from  which  time,  we  are  to  view 
liim,  as  being  much  in  the  same  state,  with  respect 
to  the  church,  and  the  covenant-people  of  God^  as 
heathen  nations  arc  at  this  day.  Cain  rejected  God  ; 
and  then  God  rejected  him,  no  longer  carrying  on  the 
treaty  of  peace  and  reconciliation  with  liim.  Cain's 
going  out  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  did  not  dis- 
annul his  obligations  to  God,  to  submit  to,  and  be  gov- 
erned by  this  new  dispensation  :  but  that  which  he 
forsook,  and  from  which  he  was  rejected  bv  God,  v/as 
the  treaty  of  peace  and  reconciliatioii,  which  God  is 
carrying  on  with  his  covenant-people  through  the 
mediation  of  Jesus  Christ.     Cain  forfeited  these  privr 


112^ 

ileges  ;  and  then  God  deprived  him  of  them.      And 
this  is  the  true  and  real  state  of  such  as  are  excom- 
ipunicated  from  the  church  of  Christ.     They  that  are 
duly  cut  oft*  from  the   church,  are   cut  off  from  ihc 
treaty  of  peace,  no  longer  to  have  any  interest  in   the 
special  privileges  of  Christ's  mediation.      And  this 
gives  us  to  see  the  great  weight,  and  solemn   impor- 
tance of  that  discipline  which   Christ  haih  set  up  in 
his  visible  kingdom,  and  shows  what  just  reason    wc 
have  to  dread  the  church  censure.      Persons  excom- 
municated   from  tiie  church,  are  to  be   esteemed  as 
those  who  are  rejected  of  God,  and  cut  off  from  those 
privileges  of  the  church,  by  which  the  treaty  of  recon- 
ciliation is  carried  on.      They  are  not  indeed,  releas- 
ed from  their  obligation  to  yield  obedience  to  the  will 
and  authority  of  God  enjoined  in  the  covenant  of  grace  j 
nor  are  they  discharged  from  a  liableness  to  condem- 
nation by  that  rule  of  the  divine   government  :    but 
they  are  rejected  of  God  as  persons  given  up,  no  long- 
er to  be  treated  as  those  whom  God  will  acknowledge 
in  a  covenant-relation  to  himself,  to  carry  on  a  treaty 
of  peace  with  them.      Indeed,  as  they  were  placed  in 
this  world,  in  a  state  of  probati(m  under  the   general 
administration  of  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  therefore,  as 
long  as  their  day  of  grace  lasts,  they  may  repent,  and 
return,  and  God  will  again  receive  them.      And  one 
kind  purpose  with  a  view  to  which,  discipline  is  ap- 
pointed, is  to  give  the  offender,  a  very  solemn,  and 
awakening  admonition  of  the  necessity  of  repentance 
and  reformation  ;  because  such  a  separation  from  the 
covenant-people  of  God  in  this  life,  made,  by  the  due 
exercise  of  the  discipline  of  the  church,  carries  in  it  a 
solemn  prelude   to  the   awful  separation    which  our 
ifighteous  judge  will  makebetw^een  the  righteous  and 
the  wicked,  in  the  day  of  judgment. 

Thus  the  distinction  between  such  as  were  the  visi- 
ble covenant-people  of  God,  and  such  as  were  not, 
first  began  among  men,  when  Cain  went  out  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord.  And  there  sprang  from  him, 
a  sinful  posterity  who  were  aliens  from  the  common- 


113 

wealth  of  Israel.  To  this  distinction  Moses  alludes 
in  Gen.  vi.  2.  "  The  sons  oi"  God  smv  the  daughters 
of  men,  Sec."  The  posterity  of  Cain,  by  livinf>-  with- 
out God  in  the  world,  made  swift  pro^^ress  in  all  man- 
ner of  wickedness.  And  when  the  sons,  of  God,  (the 
descendents  of  the  other  branches  of  Adam's  posteri- 
ty) made  intermarriages  with  these  daughters  of  men, 
(the  descendents  of  Cain)  the  infection  soon  spread 
through  the  whole  church  :  and  Noah  only  was  fomid 
righteous  before  God  ;  with  whom  God  established 
his  covenant,  and  preserved  his  church  in  his  family 
after  the  flood.  And  when  mankind  had  again  great- 
ly corrupted  their  ways,  God  saw  proper  to  distinguish 
his  coven ^.nt-people  by  instituting  circumcision, -as  a 
token  or  seal  of  the  covenant,  in  his  dispensation  to 
Abraham  ;  from  which  time,  the  rest  of  mankind 
were  rejected  of  God  for  their  apostacy  from  him,  till 
they  were  again  called  into  the  church,  under  the 
gospel-dispensation.  Thus  I  think,  the  scripture  af- 
fords us  sufficient  light  for  discovering  the  original  of 
the  church  of  Christ :  and  how,  and  whence  there  is  a 
distinction  between  the  covenant-people  of  God,  and 
the  rest  of  mankind. 

1.  Objection.  If  mankind  are  born  under  the  cov- 
enant of  grace,  to  be  probationers  upon  the  footing  of 
it ;  and  if  the  covenant  of  grace  is  the  rule  of  God's' 
government  over  mankind  in  this  life,  and  by  which 
they  shall  be  judged  hereafter  ;  then  it  follows  thai, 
heathen,  and  excommunicated  persons  are  still  re- 
lated to  God  in  that  covenant,  and  are  included  un- 
der it,  as  really  as  the  n^embers  of  the  visible 
church. 

Ansiver.  I  readily  grant  this  to  be  in  some  sense. 
and  in  some  degree,  true.  It  has  been  oberved,  that 
the  dispensation  of  redeeming  grace  which  was 
brought  in  upon  the  fall  of  Adam,  which  by  christian 
writers,  has  been  styled  the  covey.ant  of  grace^mz\ud.e^ 
both  a  covenant  of  redemption  made  with  Christ,  and 
a  covenant  of  reconciliation  made  with  fldlen  man 
through  him.  And  it  has  been  likewise  observed,  that 
10* 


114 

Christ  is  described  under  various  characters,  cloathed 
with  various  offices,  and  standing  in  various  relations 
to,  and  connections  with  mankind.  It  has  bi  en  shown 
that  Christ  is,  in  some  sense,  a  covenant-head  to  all 
mankind,  as  well. as  to  his  spiritual  body  of  true  be- 
lievers ;  although  there  is  some  difference  in  his  head- 
ship with  reference  to  these  very  different  bodies.. 
And  the  like  may  be  said  with  respect  to  his  being 
called  a  Redeeiner.^  and  Savior.  He  is  the  Savior  of 
all  men,  esfiecially  (in  a  special  sense)  qf  them  that  be- 
lieve. But  Christ  considered  in  his  character  of  a 
Mediator^  is  much  more  confined,  and,  in  a  great 
measure,  limited  to  his  visible  church,  and  covenant- 
people,  (as  I  shall  shew  hereafter)  with  whom  alone, 
the  treaty  of  peace  which  is  carried  on  in  the  cove- 
nant of  reconciliation,  is  ordinarily  r.onfined.  Al- 
though thereiore  all  mankind,  good  and  bad,  are  un- 
der the  general  administration  of  the  covenant  of 
grace  :  yet  it  is  very  consistent  that  apostates,  and  in- 
corrigible offenders  should  be  cut  oflT,  and  rejected  by 
God,  from  the  peculiar  privileges  of  the  treaty  of 
peace  which  God  is  carrying  on  in  the  covenant  of 
reconciliadon  and  the  precious  advantages  of  Christ's 
mediation.  It  is  as  consistent  for  God  thus  to  treat 
heinous  offenders  in  this  life,  as  it  will  be,  to  condemn 
them  in  the  last  day. 

2.  Objection.  If  mankind  are  born  probationers 
under  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  then  the  children  of 
heathen,  and  of  excommunicated  persons  have  as 
good  a  right  to  the  seal  of  the  covenant,  and  the  privi- 
leges of  the  church,  as  the  children  of  believei  s. .  The 
children  of  Cain  for  instance,  were  born  in  as  good 
an  esta+e  and  standing,  as  the  children  of  any  other 
branch  of  Adam's  fiimily. 

Am.iucr,  God  hath  manifestly  so  formed  human 
nature,  and  so  ordered  the  state  ot  things,  tliat  chil- 
dren are  necessarily,  in  same  decree,  sharers  in  the 
state  and  portion  of  their  natural  parents.  They 
«ome  into  the  world  in  a  weak,  hclpiess  state  ;  and 
(he  God  of  nature  has  committed  the  care  and  dispo- 


U5 

sal  of  them  in  their  minority,  to  tlieir  parents.  And 
if  parents  who  have  the  care  and  disposal  of  their 
children,  go  out  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  ;  they 
necessarily  carry  their  children  ^vith  them.  And 
thus  is  there  a  foundation  in  nature,  for  God  to  visit 
the  iniquity  of  the  parents  upon  their  children.  In- 
deed ;  when  children  are  grown  to  years  ofunder- 
standmg,  they  may  return  ;  and  the  door  of  the  church 
is  open  for  their  reception.  But  if  they  cleave  to  the 
error  of  their  fathers,  they  make  their  father's  sin 
their  own.  And  in  this  manner  the  divine  conduct  is 
vindicated  by  the  prophet  in  the  xviii.  chapter  of  Eze- 
kiel.  But  with  respect  to  the  return  of  such  sin- 
ners into  'the  church,  another  objection  may  arise 
in  the  minds  of  some,  from  the  tenor  of  the  moral 
law. 

Objection.  All  that  God  hath  required  in  his  law, 
is  LOVE  ;  love  to  God  and  man  :.  nothing  but  love,  or 
what  is  included  in  it^oris  a  proper  expression  of  it, 
can  be  consistently  required  of  man.  Therefore  no- 
thing that  a  sinner  does,  or  can  do,  whilst  his  heart  is 
destitute  of  true  love  to  God,  can  be  colled  obedience, 
nor  be  said  to  be  required  of  him  by  God.*      Theie- 

*  Some  people  have  strangely  bewildered  themselves  with 
those  words  of  our  Savior  in  Matt.  xxii.  37 — 40.  '*  Thou 
shall  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  ail 
thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  first  and  giv at 
commandment  And  the  second  is  like  unto  it.  Thou  shrilt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself  On  these  two  commandments 
hang  all  tlu- law  and  the  propliets"  The)  suppose,  these 
words  will  authorise  iht-ir  saying,  "  All  that  the  law  re* 
quires  is  love  ;  nothing  but  what  is  contained  in  love,  or  is  a 
proper  expression  of  it,  can  be  said  to  be  required  by  the 
law  "  Ajid  such  will  be  ready  to  find  fault  with  the  des- 
cription I  have  given  of  the  moral  law  in  the  bi-ginning  cf 
this  discourse,  where  I  have  said  it  consists  in  niaintuinivgi 
exercising  and  expressmg  the  divine  imiige.  in  the  various  ac- 
tions, arid  on  tht-  various  occasions  of  life.  This  divine  image 
I  have  there  illustrated,  as  consisting  in  the  exercises  of  de- 
pendence, complacency  and  subjection,  with  moral  integrity 
of  heart.  Dependence  and  subjection  are  as  distinct  exerci- 
ses  from  complacfciicy  or  love,  as  any  different  exercises  of 


116 

fore  God  has  not  reqiiii'cd  such  to  join  ■vvith  the  church 
or  come  to  ordinances,  whilst  they  remain  in  this  nut- 
iirai  state. 

the  heart,  and  they  are  as  essential  parts  of  the  divine  image 
and  as  much  required  as  iove  or  con^placency.  Their  great 
■mistake  about  tiiose  words  of  our  Savior,  is  owing  to  the 
want  of  careful  attention  to  their  just  import.  He  has  not 
said  that  All  the  laxv  and  the  prophets  are  contamed,  compris- 
ed, or  ivcliided  in  these  tivo  cominandwents.  But  his  words 
are  "  On  these  txvo  commandments  hang  all  the  Into  and  the 
prophets.''^  l*he  true  import  of  the  word  hang  will  be  readi- 
ly discovered,  if  we  attend  to  the  description  oi  moral  de- 
pravifi/,  given  in  the  preceding  discourse.  I  have  there 
mentioned  five  particulars  wherein  it  consists.  The  three 
first  are  extrinsic  of  the  will.  The  fourth  may  be  said  to  be 
intrinsic,  as  it  consists  in  the  prepossession  of  the  heart  in 
favor  of  creature-enjoyments.  This  carnal  mind  is  volunta- 
ry and  chosen  ;  and  the  gaining  of  the  will  for  God,  would 
very  much  remove  our  inability  for  his  service  in  this  res- 
pect. The  introduction  of  the  covenant  of  grace  has  taken 
off  tiiat  disfranchisement  laid  upon  fallen  man  by  tlie  bro- 
ken law  ;  and  has  taken  out  of  his  way  all  such  extrinsic 
impediments  which  disabled  him  for  the  service  of  God. 
And  tlie  only  remaining  impediment  is  this  carnal  mind, 
wiiich  is  internal  in  the  heart.  This  is  removed  by  a  clear 
discovery  and  cordial  belief  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus 
Christ.  Hereby  the  soul  is  reconciled  to  God,  and  the  love 
of  Cod  shed  abroad  in  the  heart.  And  this  love  will  be  at- 
tended with,  or  will  draw  after  it  all  moral  virtues,  or  chris- 
tian graces,  whereby  complete  conformity  to  God,  or  a  cor- 
responding agreement  of  the  whole  heart  with  the  divine 
perfections  will  be  introduced.  And  hence  has  our  Lord, 
with  great  propriety,  represented  every  moral  virtue  incul- 
cated upon  us  by  the  law  and  the  prophets,  as  hanging  or 
dependiiig  upon  love.  Love  v.'}ll  draw  the  whole  lieart  to 
God,  and  will  lead  to  the  due  exercise  of  every  gospel-virtue 
whereby  the  divine  ima!4;e  complete  in  all  its  parts,  will  be 
restored  And  although  many  of  these  exercises  are  quite 
distinct  from  love,  and  cannot  properly  be  said  to  be  inclu- 
ded in  it ;  yet  tliey  may  be  said  to  hang  upon  it,  because 
iove  will  lead  on  the  soul  to  all  these  exercises.  Again  ; 
our  Lord  by  saying,  *'  On  these  two  hang  all  the  law  and  the 
prophets"  shows  us,  that  love  is  the  great  mark  or  point  to 
which  all  that  is  contained  in  the  law  and  the  propiiets  is 
calculated  to  bring  us  ;  which  is  very  consistent  with  there 
being  many  things  previously  enjoined  upon  us,  in  order  to 
bring  us  to  it. 


117 

Answer.  There  was  a  great  difference  betwecii 
Cain's  remaining  in  a  natural  state,  and  iiis  going  out 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  He  did  very  wick- 
edly in  going  out  ;  and  it  was  as  great  wickedness,  lo 
tarry  there,  and  not  return.  We  are  required  to 
eease  to  do  cvll^  as  well  as  to  learn  to  do  ivcll.  A  cov- 
enant-relation to  God  was  the  state  in  which  Cain  was 
born  :  and  he  did  very  wickedly  when  he  quitted  it, 
and  went  out  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  Con- 
sequently, when  a  man  joins  to  the  church,  he  there- 
in ctastth  to  do  evil,  or  returns,  and  re-assumes  his  na- 
tive station,  the  station  in  which  God  set  Adum  and 
his  seed,  when  the  covenant  of  grace  wa^ntroduced. 
The  being  of  this  covenant-relation  to  GnP^  and  con- 
sequently, our  right  of  acting  agreeable  to  it  in  main- 
taining communion  with  the  visible  church,  is  found- 
ed on  the  divine  authority  which  put  fallen  man  into 
this  state.  The  truth  of  this  cannot  be  denied,  unless 
the  preceding  account  of  the  introduction  of  the  cov- 
enant of  grace,  as  the  foundation  of  God's  subsequent 
dealings  with  mankhid,  shall  be  disproved.  And 
shall  we  say,  our  being  in  a  natural  state  disqualifies 
us  for  keeping  that  naiive  station  which  the  God  of 
nature  and  grace  has  put  us  into  ?  We  must  either 
jubtiiy  Cain  in  going  out  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  :  or  allow  a  natural  man  to  sustain  a  covenant- 
relation  to  God  in  the  church. 

It  may  be  said,  he  was  not  to  be  justified,  either 
in  gcing  out  of  the  presence  of  the  Lord  ;  nor  yet, 
in  condnuing  in  his  impenitent  natural  state. 

J3e  it  so.  But  was  he  required  to  repent  and  turn 
to  God  without  a  Mediator,  and  without  an  attend- 
ance upon,  and  improvement  of  those  means  and 
privileges  which  God,  in  the  covenant  of  pjrace,  has 
freely  given  through  Christ  lO  mankind  m  their  nat- 
ural state,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  them  to  re- 
pentance r  and  in  the  use  and  improvement  of  which 
they  are  required  to  exercise  and  express  their  re- 
turn to  him  ?  But  that  covenant  rehstion  to  God  in 
which  the  visible  church  stands,  together  with  ail  the 


IIS 

privileges  of  it,  are  granted  by  God  to  mankind  ia 
their  natural  state,  as  means  to  bring  them  to  re- 
pentance, and  in  which  they  are  to  exercise  and  ex- 
press their  return  to  him  ;  as  is  evident  from  all  the 
arguments  which  prove  the  federal  right  of  our  in- 
fant seed  :  all  which  will  more  fully  appear  when  I 
come  to  point  out  the  privileges  of  the  members  of 
tile  visible  church,  under  the  following  third  head  of 
this  discourse. 

II.  I  am  next  to  inquire  how,  or  by  what  it  is,  that 
this  visible  distinction  is  made  ;  or  how  it  is  that  we 
become  members  of  the  visible  church,  and  are  enti- 
tled to  the  iiijrileges  of  its  communion. 

AithougiWrod  put  Adam  and  his  seed  into  this 
covenant-relation  to  himself,  after  the  fall  ;  yet  since 
there  has  been  an  apostacy  from  it  among  men,  it 
has  pleased  God  to  put  a  nmrkof  distinGiion  upon  nis 
LMVcnant-pcople,  v/hcreby  they  are  separated  to  him, 
HO'U  tli-e  rest  ofmankind,by  affixing  seals  to  his  cov- 
enant. Thus  in  the  covenant  dispensation  to  Abra- 
ham, when  mankind  had  greatly  corrupted  them- 
selves after  the  flood,  and  were  apostatized  from  God, 
circumcision  was  instituted  to  be  the  token,  or  ini- 
tiating seal  of  the  covenant  ;  and  God  commanded 
him  to  confirm  this  covenant  upon  his  seed  after  him 
at  eight  days  old.  Hereby  Abraham,  and  his  seed  be- 
came the  visible  church,  or  covenant-people  of  God  : 
but  the  rest  of  the  world  were  rejected  fcjm  this  re- 
lation for  their  apostacy.  And  under  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation, instead  of  circumcision,  baptism  is  appoint- 
ed to  be  the  inilkiting  seal  of  the  covenant.  And  as 
it  v/as  requiied  under  tl:c  former  dispensation,  of  the 
strangci  tliat  would  join  himself  to  the  church  of  Is- 
rael, to  circumcise  himseli  and  his  seed  ;  so,  under 
the  gospel  dispensation,  all  such  as  are  I'eceived  into 
the  church  are  admiited  by  baptism.  For  since  it 
has  pleased  God  to  affix  seals  to  his  covenant,  it  is 
evideniiy  necessary  his  people  shouid  be  confirmed  in 
their  covenant  rekuion  to  him  by  receiving  the  ap- 
pointed s:oaj. 


119 

It  is  the  well-known  practice  of  the  churches  iu 
this  land,  to  require  t!ie  person  to  be  received  to  the 
coinniunion  of  the  church,  to  make  some  express 
promises,  and  come  under  covenant  engagements  by- 
some  form  of  v/ords,  previous  to  his  receiving  the 
seals  ;  and  the  administraiion  of  the  seals  thereupon 
to  the  person  thus  covenanting,  seems  to  be  esteem- 
ed "as  a  confirmation  of  the  covenant  wivich  he  has 
before  exprest.  And  if  this  is  the  light  in  which 
tiicse  things  are  to  be  viewed,  it  appears  to  be  of 
great  weight,  not  only  thus  to  covenant,  but  also 
what  form  of  words  we  make  use  of  upon  this  occa- 
sion. This,  it  is  well  known,  Iras  bet;  n  asu])jcctof 
much  debate  in  these  churches.  It  is  very  cvidfei^it 
that  the  disputes  and  contentions  vvliich  have  per- 
plexed and  divided  the  church  in  all  agrs,  have 
generally,  if  not  always,  been  about  some  hiiman  in- 
vention, that  has  been  introduced  without  Jiutlicient 
warrant  from  the  word  of  God.  And  if  tills  practice 
of  covenanting  in  some  certain  form  of  words  when  a 
person  is  received  into  the  cliurch,  is  not  of  a  divine 
original,  but  a  n^?ve  human  invention  unadvisedly 
brought  in,  it  is  no  wonder  th^t  it  should  cause  much 
strife  and  division,  as  ;t  manifestly  has  done.  A  di- 
vine warrant  therefore  is  here  to  l}c  demanded  for 
requiring  a  person  to  make  a  verbal  covenunt  in  or- 
der to  his  being  owned  as  a  member,  and  admiiied 
to  communion  in  the  church.  As  far  as  1  can  learn, 
this  practice  wholly  rests  upon  i/ic  tradition  of  the 
elders.  And  it  .is  high  lime  to  consider  seriously, 
wii-  ther  we  have  not  niade  vuid  tlie  commandment 
of  God  tiirough  our  tradition,  if  this  praclice  is  of 
divine  original,  it  seems  strange  wc  sliould  be  un- 
able to  find  either  precept  or  exaijiple  for  it,  to  whicii 
we  might  appeal  for  a  decision  of  our  disputes  ;  yet, 
upon  a  careful  inquiry,  1  presume  none  that  is  in  any 
Way  plain  and  express,  can  be  produced.  But  when 
we  make  this  inquiry,  we  must  keep  in  mind  tiie  dis- 
tinction between  making  a  profession  of  our  belief  of 
the  truth  of  the  christian   reiij^iou,  anil   our  making 


1^0 

promises,  or  coming  under  covenant  engaj^cments 
by  any  set  form  ot  words,  to  live  a  chiibuan  liie. — 
It  is  evidently  reasonuole  that  one  who  has  been 
brought  up  a  Jew,  or  a  heathen,  when  he  comes  to 
ask  for  christian  privileges,  should  declare  his  belief 
of  the  chrisiian  religion  ;  and  for  this  we  have  sutH- 
cient  warrant  in  the  sacred  scripuire,  both  from  pre- 
cept and  example.  To  this  putpose  are  the  words 
of  our  bavior,  Aiatth  x.  32.  "  Whosoever  tlierefore 
shall  confess  me  before  men,  him  will  I  also  ccjnfess 
before  my  Father  which  is  in  Heaven."  Ami  the 
apobtle  deckres,  Rom  x.  9.  *•  If  thou  shalt  confess 
witli  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus."  In  these  texts  it  is 
piuiniy  .augiitthat  we  should  confess  Chrisc  with  our 
mouth.  And  in  lleb  x  23,  the  apostle  exhorts  us 
to  *•  Hold  fast  the  profession  of  our  f.dth  without  wa- 
vering.'' As  the  cip(jstle  connects  t'lis  with  our  hav- 
iag-  our  bodies  waslied  with  pure  w^ter,  which  doubt- 
less means  baprism,  as  that  is  the  only  washing  with 
water  under  the  gospel  ;  mc  may  reasonably  con- 
clude the  profession  of  faith  here  intended,  is  that 
profession  which  is  made  at  the  time  of^  or  in  bap- 
tism. But  the  most  express  text  is  in  Acts,  viii.  36, 
37.  Where  the  Eunuch  said  to  Philip,  "  See  here  is 
water  ;  what  doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptized  ?  And 
Philip  said,  if  thou  believest  with  all  thy  heart,  thoU 
mayest.  And  he  answered  and  said,  I  believe  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  "  It  is  here  plain  that 
Philip  required  a  verbal  profession  of  the  christian 
faith  previous  to  baptism  But  in  all  these  texts  it  is 
to  be  observed,  that  no  mention  is  made  of  any  pio- 
mise,  or  previous  covenanting  ;  nothing  more  appears 
in  them  than  a  profession  of  the  christian  religion  :  but 
it  is  quite  another  thing  to  express  covenant  engage- 
ments. 

If  we  attend  to  the  account  we  have  in  the  bible  of 
entering  into  covenant  with  God,  we  shall  see  reason 
to  believe  this  was  done  by  actions  rather  than  words. 
For  when  God  made  a  covenant  with  Abraham,  Gen, 
iKvii.  he  instituted  circumcision  to  te  a  token  of  ^he 


P21 

ebvcuaut,  and  comiuanded  him  to  circuincise  his 
household  ;  and  gave  in  charii;e  that  every  man  child 
among  his  seed  should  be  circumcised  at  eight  days 
old,  in  their  generations.  We  have  no  account  that 
Abraham,  upon  this  occasion,  made  any  covenant 
\vith  God,  by  any  form  of  words  ;  or  that  he  spoke  so 
much  as  one  word  by  way  of  promise,  that  he  would 
keep  this  covenant  whick  God  had  prescribed  :  but 
all  that  he  did,  so  far  as  we  have  any  account  of  the 
matter,  was  to  circumcise  himself,  and  the  males  of 
Iiis  household  on  that  same  day,  as  he  was  command- 
ed. And  it  was  by  his  so  doing  that  he  took  hold  of, 
or  did  enter  into  that  covenant  with  God  Circumci- 
sion beip.g  thus  appointed,  was  a  significant  action, 
and  the  meaning  of  it  limited  and  fixed  by  God  him- 
self, as  the  act  by  which  this  covenant-relation  to  him- 
self was  to  be  entered  into,  and  confirmed.  If  Abra- 
ham had  made  never  so  many  promises,  and  that,  in 
the  most  solemn  manner,  how  obedient  he  vvouid  be, 
it  would  hivVe  signified  nothing  ;  because  the  way,  by 
divine  appointment,  for  him  to  enter  into  this  cove- 
nant, vv'as  circumcision  ;  but  promises  v/ould  not  have 
ans'.-ered  the  end  in  this  case.  Hence  it  is  that  God 
cailE  circuiucision,  my  covermnt,  in  verse,  10.  "  This 
is  my  covenant  which  ye  shall  keep  between  me  and 
you,  and  thy  seed  after  thee,  every  man-child  among 
you  shall  be  circumcised.*'  By  this  dispensation  God 
set  up  his  church  in  Abraham's  family.  And  these 
things  being  attended  to,  it  appears  evident,  that  the 
way  in  which  any  one  could  become  a  member  of  it, 
was  by  being  circumcised. 

After  this,  we  have  an  account  that  the  cliildrcn  of 
Israel  several  times  renevvcd  covenant  with  God  ;  at 
Ivlount  Sinai,  on  the  plains  of  Moab,  afterwards  in 
the  days  of  JoshUa,  and  once  more  after  their  return 
from  tne  Hwbyionish  captivity,  under  the  direction  of 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  But  with  respect  to  all  these 
instances,  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  to  enter  into  any 
new  covenant-relation  to  God  difterent  from  what 
■subsisted  before)  was  not  the  thing  intended  in  them  j 

a 


H<2 

-it  was  not  in  order  to  their  being  God's  visible  church 
and  covenunt-people  :  but  for  other  important  purpo- 
ses. Tiieywere  in  covenant  with  Godbelbre,  and  had 
been  his  visible  church  from  the  days  of  Abraham,  and 
continued  to  be  so  in  their  generations,  till  the  gospel 
clispeuoation  took  place.  Although  therefore  these  in- 
stances of  covenanting  may  properly  be  attended  to, 
that  we  may  learn  the  general  nature  of  a  covenant-re- 
lation to  God  ;  yet  they  will  not  so  plainly  determine 
whereby  it  is,  we  are  added  to  the  church,  or  how  a 
covenant-relation  to  God  is  first  entered  into. 

In  some  of  these  instances  of  covenanting  the  peo- 
ple made  express  verbal  promises  of  obedience  ;  and 
in  some,  they  did  not.  In  the  time  of  bondage  in 
Egypt,  it  may  be  presumed,  the  children  of  Israel 
had  very  much  lost  their  know' edge  of  this  coven- 
ant. When  therefore  Moses  had  brought  them  out 
ot  Egypt  unto  Mount  Sinai,  it  was  very  proper  to  lead 
them  to  renew  their  covenant,  that  they  might  have 
a  more  just  conception  of  it  :  especially  as  God  was 
about  to  give  them  a  new  body  of  laws,  and  to  form 
them  into  a  more  complete  church  state.  Upon  this 
occasion  of  covenanting,  the  people  promised,  saying, 
"  All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  will  we  do,  and  be 
obedient." 

After  this  covenanting  at  Sinai,  the  children  of  Is- 
rael provoked  the  Lord  to  anger  ;  and  he  laid  upon 
them  the  heavy  judgment  of  wandering  forty  years 
in  the  v/ilderness,  till  all  the  men  of  that  generation 
were  consumed.  But  when  they  arrived  at  the  bor- 
ders of  the  land  of  promise,  on  the  plains  of  Moab, 
by  Jordan,  near  Jericho,  Moses  again  led  the  people 
to  renew  covenant  with  God.  The  whole  book  of 
Deuteronomy  is  to  be  considered  as  the  speech  which 
he  made  to  them  upon  that  occasion.  And  in  the 
xxix.  chapter,  10th  and  12th  verses,  he  tells  them, 
**  Ye  stana  this  day,  all  of  ye  beiore  the  Lord  your 
God — that  thou  shouldst  enter  into  covenant  with  the 
Lord  thy  God,  and  into  his  oath,  which  the  Lord  thy 
God  maketh  with  thee  tnis  day.'*     And  in  the  14tli 


133 

and  15th  verses,  it  is  added,  "  Neither  with  you  only 
do  I  make  this  covenant  and  this  oath  ;  but  with  him 
that  standeth  here  with  us  this  day  before  the  Lord 
our  God,  and  also  with  him  that  is  not  here  witii  us 
this  day."  In  this  instance  of  covenanting,  Moses 
did  not  require  the  people  to  make  any  promises,  or 
bring;  themselves  under  any  obligations  by  words  ; 
but  all  they  did  was  to  present  themselves  there  be- 
fore the  Lord  :  and  even  this  was  not  essential  to 
their  being  included  under  the  bonds  of  this  covenant 
and  this  oath  ;  for  such  as  were  not  present  were 
as  much  included,  as  them  that  were.  Our  imagin- 
ation otten  leads  us  astray  about  our  coming  into  a 
covenant  relation  to  God,  by  comparing  it  too  closely 
with  covenant  transactions  among  men.  When  a 
covenant  is  made  between  two  men,  their  mutual  con- 
sent is  ordinarily  necessary  to  the  being  of  the  coven- 
ant ;  and  we  do  not  look  upon  ourselves  holden,  till 
our  consent  is  given  :  but  this  is  not  necessarily  the 
case  when  God  covenants  with  man.  God  is  so  in- 
jinitely  above  us,  and  has  such  absolute,  sovereign 
authority  over  us,  that  he  can  put  us  into  a  covenant 
relation,  and  under  covenant  bonds  to  himself  without 
asking  our  consent.  Thus  God  dealt  with  our  first 
parents  in  putting  them  into  a  state  of  trial  under  the 
first  covenant,  in  their  innocent  state  ;  they  were  not 
consulted  upon  it,  nor  asked  whether  they  would  con- 
sent to  stand  a  trial  under  it  or  not.  And  thus  God 
dealt  with  them  after  the  fall,  in  putting  them  into  a 
new  state  of  trial  on  the  footing  of  the  covenant  of 
grace  ;  whether  they  consented  or  not,  the  bonds  of 
that  covenant  v/ere  upon  them.  In  like  manner  he 
dealt  with  Abraham  and  his  seed  ;  there  was  no 
previous  consent  asked,  before  God  laid  the  covenant 
upon  them.  And  as  the  being,  the  validity,  and  the 
biiuling  authority  of  thcit  covenant  was  the  sole  effect 
of,  and  did  wholly  rest  upon  the  divine  authority  ;  it 
shows  the  capacity  of  children  to  be  included  in  it, 
and  the  propriety  of  laying  it  upon  infants  eight  days 
old,  as  well  as  upon  people  grown  to  years  of  under-. 


124 

standing  ;  because  the  being,  and  the  binding  aiithoi^- 
ity  of  tins  covenant  relation  to  God,  did  not  at  all  de- 
pend upon  any  human  consent  or  concurrence  what- 
ever. And  it  appears  to  be  the  same  case  in  this  cov- 
enant transaction  on  the  plains  of  Moab  :  no  consent 
of  the  people  was  asked  ;  and  the  covenant  was  ex- 
tended to  them  that  were  not  present,  as  well  as  to  them 
that  were.  Moses  here  styles  it,  "  This  covenant 
and  this  oath,"  because  there  is  no  material  difiTer- 
ence  between  a  divine  covenant,  and  a  divine  oath. 
We  find  that  such  as  were  clothed  with  a  divine 
commission,  had  power  to  lay  a  person  under  the  so- 
lemn tics  of  an  oath,  v/ithout  asking  his  consent. 
Such  authority  the  Aaronical  high  priesthood  was 
vested  with.  Hence,  when  our  I^ord  Jesus  Christ 
was  brought  before  the  Jewish  high  priest,  he  had  a 
divine  oath  imposed  upon  him.  Matthew  xxvi.  63. 
"  But  Jesus  held  his  peace.  And  the  high  priest 
answered  ctnd  said  unto  him,  I  adjure  thee  by  the 
living  God,  that  thou  tell  us.  whether  thou  be  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God/'  Here,  the  high  priest  act-^ 
ing  in  his  office,  imposed  a  sacred  oath  upon  our 
Savior,  to  extort  from  him  a  confession  of  his  own 
divine  character  and  mission,  that  he  might  fmd  mat- 
ter of  accusation  against  him.  And  then  Christ  an- 
swered him  ;  although  under  all  tl:ie  questions  put  to 
him  before,  he  held  his  peace  ;  herein  reverencing 
and  submitting  to  the  authority  of  a  divine  commis- 
sion, although  exercised  by  a  person  of  a  vile  and  in- 
famous character,  and  with  a  very  wicked  design. 
Thus  also  Moses  acting  with  divine  authority  \n  this 
covenant  transaction  on  the  plains  of  Moab,  extended 
fhe  bonds  of  this  covenant,  and  this  oath  to  them  that 
were  absent,  as  well  as  to  those  present,  without  ask- 
ing any  consent  in  the  case. 

The  instances  of  covenanting  in  the  days  of  Joshua 
and  Nchemiah  also,  are  not  to  be  considered  as  an 
entrance  into  a  new  covenant  relation  to  God  :  but  as 
a  renewal  and  recognition  of  that  covenant  relation 
which  before  subsisted,  for  special  reasons  at  that 
time  proper. 


V^5 

If  we  proceed  in  our  inquiry,  and  survey  the  prac- 
tice of  the  Apostles,  we  shall  find  no  account  of  any 
verbal  covenanting  or  promises  made  by  such  as  they 
received  as  members  of  the  church,  under  the  gospel 
dispensation.  The  first  instance  of  their  admission, 
is  recorded  Acts  ii.  where  we  find  three  thousand 
taken  into  the  church  in  one  day.  ^V^hen  they  were 
pricked  in  their  heart  by  the  conviction  set  before 
them  oi  their  iieinous  crime  of  crucifying  the  Savior, 
tliey  said  unto  Peter,  and  to  t!ie  rest  of  the  apostles, 
"  Men  and  brethren,  what  s'nall  we  do  r"  And  Peter 
answers,  "  Repent,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ."  And  we  are  fold  in 
the  41st  verse,  "  I'hen  they  tiiat  g-iadly  received  his 
word  were  baptized  :  and  the  same  day  there  were 
added  uiito  them  abDUt  three  th.ousan:!."  We  liave 
not  the  least  hint  that  the  apostles  first  led  them  to 
make  any  promises,  or  to  enter  into  any  covenant  en- 
gagements vvhatever,  before  they  were  baptized:  but 
tliat  by  which  they  were  added  to  the  church,  v/as 
their  being  baptized.  Ail  the  vows,  promises,  or 
covenant  engagements  that  could  be  spoken  with 
tongue,  would  not  have  made  them  meui::: rs  of  the 
chuich,  or  visible  disciples  of  Christ :  it  was  bap- 
tism, and  that  only  that  could  do  it.  There  was  at 
U^at  time  no  &ther  way  known  or  practised  of  uniting 
with  the  church,  but  by  being  baptized,  as  we  have 
any  the  least  hint  of  in  the  bible  ;  which  is  the  only 
rule  we  have  to  go  by  in  this  matter.  And  after  they 
were  baptized,  it  is  said  of  them,  "  That  they  contin- 
ued stedfastly  in  the  apostles'  doctrine  and  fellowship, 
and  in  breaking  of  bread,  and  in  prayers."  As  soon  a^s 
tliey  were  baptized,  they  were  esteemed  and  treated 
as  members  of  the  church  in  coinplete  standing,  in 
fellowship  v,'ith  tlie  aposUes  in  all  ciiurch  privileges  ; 
even  in  the  Lord's  supper,  which  is  here  styled 
*'  breaking  of  bread,"  as  well  as  other  christian  privi- 
leges. 

Another  remarkable  instance  we  have  in  x\cts  x. 
when  Peter  preached  the  gospel  to  Cornelius  ;  whilf 
11  * 


126 

he  was  speaking,  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  them  thai 
heard  the  word.  Upon  this,  Peter  said,  "  Can  any 
man  forbid  water,  that  these  should  not  be  baptized, 
which  have  received  the  Holy  Ghost  as  well  as  we  ? 
And  he  commanded  them  to  be  baptized  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord.  Here  also  we  find  not  the  least  hint  of 
any  previous  covenanting,  or  any  thing  like  it,  before 
Peter  commanded  them  to  be  baptized  ;  nor  any 
thing  else  required  of  them,  in  order  to  their  enjoy- 
ment of  all  the  privileges  of  the  visible  church.  And 
we  may  here  further  observe,  that  the  apostle  Peter, 
acting  with  a  divine  commission,  as  Moses  did  on  the 
plains  of  Moab,  without  asking  any  previous  consent, 
enjoined  the  covenant  upon  them  in  commanding 
them  to  be  baptized.  To  these  we  may  add,  the  in- 
stances of  Lydia  and  the  jailor.  Acts  xvi.  in  which 
there  appears  nothing  but  baptism  required  of  them. 
Having  thus  brought  into  view  the  principal  texts 
that  can  discover  to  us  what  the  practice  of  the  apos- 
tles was,  in  their  receiving  people  to  the  communion 
of  the  church  ;  we  may  from  thence  collect  an  an- 
swer to  the  question  under  consideration,  viz.  IV/iat 
it  is  thai  7nakes  a  person  a  member  of  the  visible  church, 
and  gives  him  a  right  to  all  the  Jirivileges  of  its  co?n- 
muJiion  in  special  ordinances  ?  We  must  say.  It  is  no 
verbal  profession  of  the  faith,  nor  any  couenant  en- 
gagements ivhich  we  express  with  our  mouths,  that  will 
do  it  :  there  appears  no  other  way  of  being  added  to 
the  church,  but  by  receiviyig  that  ordinance  which  God 
hath  appointed,  to  be  the  initiating  seal  of  his  covenant. 
Thus  it  was  under  the  law  of  Moses,  while  circu\^r 
cision  was  the  instituted  rite  by  which  a  person  en- 
tered into  covenant  with  God.  There  v/as  no  way  of 
becoming  a  member  of  the  church  at  that  time,  but 
by  circumcision.  To  this  agrees  the  command  of 
God  to  Moses,  Exod.  xii.  48.  "  And  when  a  stranger 
shall  sojourn  with  thee,  and  will  keep  the  passover 
unto  the  Lord,  let  all  his  males  be  circumcised  ;  and 
then  let  him  come  near  and  keep  it,"  Here  is  no 
verbal  covenanting  directed  to  :  but  it  was  only  by 


J27 

submittine^'  to  the  lite  of  circumcision,  that  the  stron- 
ger acquired  a  right  to  come  near  and  keep  the  pass- 
over.  And  it  is  a  like  case  under  the  gospel,  where 
baptism  succeeds  in  the  room  of  circumcision.  A 
person  must  be  taken  into  covenant  by  baptism,  before 
he  can  have  a  visible  right  to  the  privileges  of  the 
covenant:  but  when  the  stranger  is  baptized,  he  there- 
by acquires  a  visible  right  to  come  near,  and  partake 
at  the  Lord's  table. 

Herein  we  see,  that  baptism  is  a  significant  ordi- 
nance ;  and  the  import  of  it  is  fixed  by  its  divine  e.\\- 
i\\ov2i^  a  covc7ianting  act.  We  thereby  confirm,  or 
enter  into  covenant  with  God,  are  laid  under  covenant 
bonds,  and  are  entitled  to  covenant  privileges  ;  ail 
which  further  appears  from  the  institution  of  it.— - 
Matth.  xxviii.  19,20.  "  Go  teach  all  nations,  bapti- 
sing them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  teaching  them  to  observe 
all  things  vvhaisoever  I  have  connnanded  you.  Here 
is  contained  the  institution  of  christian  baptism.  In- 
deed, we  read  of  baptizing  before  this.  John  the  bap- 
tist did  baptize  ;  and  so  did  the  disciples  of  Christ, 
before  his  suffering  :  but  the  baptism  of  John  was 
not  christian  baptism  :  but  quite  ;'.ncthcr  ordinance, 
instituted  for  another  pui'pose,  and  had  quite  another 
meaning.  Indeed",  John  used  water  in  liis  baptism  ; 
and  in  that  respect  it  had  some  resemblance  of  chris- 
tian baptism  ;  but  in  all  other  respects,  it  was  quite 
different. 

Objection.  Jesus  himself  was  baptized  by  John. 
And  was  not  that  christian  ba/itism  ? 

AnsTver.  Not  at  all  the  more  for  that.  Christian 
baptism  is  an  ordinance  appointed  by  Christ  himself; 
by  Vv'hich,  our  relation  to  him,  as  his  covenant-people 
is  confirmed.  But  Christ's  being  baptized  by  John 
doth  not  in  the  least  prove  John's  baptism  to  be 
christian  baptism.  Nothing  can  be  more  evident 
than  that  John's  baptism  and  christian  baptism  are 
two  diflerent  things.  John  did  not,  by  his  baptism, 
bring  people  into  a  covenant  rclaiicn  to   God  ;  for 


128 

they  were  as  nuich  in  covenant  with  God  before  as 
aderwards  :  He  did  not  make  thtni  membeis  of  the 
riijible  church  ;  for  they  were  members  of  it  before  : 
His  baptism  could  not  be  instituted  by  Christ ;  for  he 
.  was  before  Christ  ;  and  therefore  it  could  not  be  chris- 
ticin  bapiism.  John's  h:;ptism  referi-edto  a  Saviour  to 
to  come  ;  but  chrisii:;n  baptism  refers  to  one  already 
come.  Chiistian  bapiisrn  is  administered  in  the 
name  of  the  Faiher.  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy- 
Ghost  :  but  John  did  not  baptize  in  the  name  of  the 
Son,  because  he  had  not  then  publicly  appeared  ; 
nor  did  he  b^.piizc  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Giiost, 
for  some  that  had  received  his  baptism,  had  not  so 
much  as  iieard  whether  there  was  any  Holy  Ghost. 
See  Acts,  xix.  1.3,  "  Paul  having*  passed  throu5:^hthe 
upper  coasts,  came  to  Ephesus,  and  finding  certain 
disciples,  he  said  unto  thiem,  Have  ye  received  the 
Holy  Ghost  since  ye  believed  ?  And  they  said  unto 
Inm,  v.^e  h.ave  not  so  much  as  heartl  whether  there  be 
xny  Holy  Ghost.  Ard  he  said  unto  them,  unto  w  hat 
then  Vv'ere  ye  baptized  ?  And  they  said,  unto  John's 
baptism.  Then  said  Paul,  John  verily  baptized  with 
the  baptism  of  repentance,  saying  unto  the  people, 
That  they  should  believe  on  him  which  should  come 
after  him,  this  is,  on  Christ  Jesus.  When  they  heard 
this,  they  were  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Je- 
sus." From  this  text  also  it  further  appears,  that 
some  who  had  been  baptized  by  John,  w-ere  afterwards 
again  baptized  with  Christ's  baptism  ;*  which  unde- 

*It  is  pleaded  by  many  learned  men  that  wc  must  under- 
stand this  iitlh  veti,(-  to  be  the  words  of  the  aposlle  Paul  ; 
and  not  the  words  of  Luke  (who  is  supposed  to  be  the  ptn- 
man  of  tlie  b(;(jk  of  tlie  Acts  of  the  Apostit-s)  in  h:s  record- 
ing-this  discourse  between  tlie  apostles  and  the  disciples  of 
Jolni  ;  b'.CiUse  the  de  in  this  verse,  stands  as  a  redditive  to 
the  r,ie7i,  exjirtssed  by  Paul  in  the  furegoing-  fourth  verse. 
/And  It  must  be  acknowledj^ed  that  it  is  agreeable  to  the 
Greek  lang-uajj^e  for  ine  word  me7i  to  be  thus  fodowed  with 
</c?^s  a  redditive  to  it  :  yea,  perhaps  this  is  always  the  case, 
unless  in  such  instances  where  there  is  an  ellipsis  in  tlie 
discourse.    But  this  notwithstanding-,  I  ani  of  the  opinior 


129 

niably  proved  them  to  be  quite  distiilci  ordinances. 
And  as  these  were  so  distinct,  no  argtiment  can  be 
raised  from  John's  baptism,  with  respect  to  either  the 
subject  or  mode  of  christian  baptism.  Were  itg^ran- 
ted  that  John  baptized  none  but  adults  ;  it  can  be  no 

that  this  fifth  verse  must  be  understood  as  ihe  words  of 
Luke,  setting- forth  the  efltct  whicli  the  apostle's  preceding 
discourse  had  upon  these  disciples  of  John,  for  several  rea- 
sons. 

1  The  sense  of  the  discourse  seems  to  plead  for  it,  and  is 
doubtless  so  understood  by  ail  such  readers  as  are  not  in- 
fluenced by  the  position  oi'mejiy  and  Je,  to  understand  it  the 
other  way. 

2.  To  understand  this  fifth  verse  as  Paul's  words,  doth  not 
seem  well  to  rgree  with  the  subject  of  the  apostle's  dis- 
course. Had  the  apostle  been  shewing-  that  the  baptism  of 
John  was  a  true  and  vali-l  chri3i:2irbapt:sir<,  it  v/o'dld  havci 
been  suiiuble  to  his  desic^n  to  tell  them,  that  John's  disci- 
ples ought  to  look  upon  themselves  as  being  baptized  into 
Christ,  because  that  John,  by  his  baptism,  brought  his  disci- 
jeies  under  'obligation  to  believe  on  him  that  should  come 
after  him,  that  is,  on  Jesus  Christ.  But  this  dotii  not  seem 
to  have  been  his  aim.  His  inquiry  respected  the  Holy 
Ghoiil.  The  apostle  asked  them,  "  Have  ye  received  the 
Holy  Gliost  since  ye  believed  ?  And  they  said  unto  him.  We 
have  not  so  much  as  heard  whether  there  be  any  Holy 
Ghost "  It  was  their  professed  ignorance  that  there  was  a 
Holy  Gliost,  that  led  the  apostle  to  inquire  into  their  bap- 
tism. For  if  taey  had  been  baptized  into  the  Trinity,  they 
must  certainly  have  heard  that  there  was  u  Holy  Ghost. 
And  upon  the  Apostle's  asking-  them,  "  Unto  what  then  were 
ye  baptized  !"  liiey  said  "  Unto  John's  baptism."  And  upon 
this,  the  apostle  lays  open  the  lenijr  and  import  of  Jolui'ii 
baptism,  saying-,  "  John  verily  baptized  with  the  baptism  of 
repentance,  saying-  unto  the  people,  that  they  should  believe 
on  him  whicIi  should  come  after  biro,  that  is,  on  Christ  Je- 
sus" But  how  does  this  expianatinn  of  John's  baptism  ac- 
count for  their  ignorance  abot'.t  the  Holy  Ghost,  if  John's 
baptism  was  administered  in  ths  nanie  of  tlje  Trinity,  as 
well  as  christian  baptism  i  The  whole  scope  of  the  apostle's 
discourse  therefore  shows  that  t!;ese  disciples  of  John  had 
not  received  christian  baptism,  but  were  yet  to  be  baptized  : 
which  makes  it  necessary  to  understand  the  apostle's  dis- 
course as  finished  with  the  fourth  vt-rse  ;  and  that  the  fifth 
verse  is  the  words  of  the  historian,  setting-  forth  the  eiltct 


130 

objection  against  infant  baptism  :  and  were  it  fully 
proved  that  lie  baptized  by  plunginj^  ;  it  will  not  at 
all  prove  that  christian  baptism  must  be  so  adminis- 
tered. Christ's  baptism  was  not  instituted  till  after 
his  resurrection  ;  nor  v/as  it  once  mentioned,  till 
Christ  gave  this  commandment  to  his  apostles,  Matth, 
xxviii.  19,  20.  *Tis  here  that  Christ  gave  commission 


which  the  foregoing"  discourse  of  the  apostle  had  upon  these 
converts,  that  when  they  lieard  the  apostle  declare  this,  then 
Were  they  baptized  into  Christ, 

3.  Where  ihe  sentence  is  elliptical  we  often  find  the  word 
men,  used  in  the  Greek  lanj^uage,  without  being  followed 
with  de  as  a  redditive  to  it;  althoug-h  the  de  would  naturally 
come  in,  if  the  elhpsis  were  filled  up  Instances  of  this  of- 
ten occur.  See  Acts  xxvii.  21-  "  Ye  should  have  hearkened 
unto  me,  and  not  have  loosed  from  Crete,  and  to  have  saved 
this  harra  and  loss."  If  the  ellipsis  had  bet^n  filled  up,  these 
worvis  would  have  been  added  at  the  end  of  the  verse,  "  Bat 
ye  would  not,"  in  which  the  de  would  have  stood  in  its  prop- 
er place  See  also  Horn  viii.  12.  Itom  x.  1.  11  Corin.  xii. 
12.  Colos.  ii.  23.  Heb.  xii  9  And  in  the  place  under 
consideration,  it  is  most  natural  to  understand  the  apostle's 
discourse  as  elliptical,  and  tliat  it  ends  with  the  fourth  verse  ; 
which  ellipsis  if  it  were  filled  up,  would  be  an  explanation 
of  the  different  tep.or  and  import  of  chi'istian  baptism.  For 
we  cannot  suppose  thiit  Luke  has  recorded  the  whole  dis- 
course  which  Paul  had  with  these  disciples  of  John.  Doubt- 
less when  he  found  them  so  ignoi  aut  in  the  fundamental 
doctrines  of  Christianity  as  not  to  know  whether  there  be 
any  Holy  Ghost,  he  would  instruct  them  in  the  wa^  oi'  the 
Lord  more  pe;  feetly  ;  althoui^h  Luke,  in  his  recording 
these  things,  has  only  given  us  a  brief  summary  of  the  mat- 
ter. 

It  is  objected,  that  when  these  disciples  tell  the  apostle 
tliey  had  not  so  much  as  heard  whether  there  be  any  floly 
Ghost  ;  it  cannot  be  supposed  they  were  ignorant  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity  ;  but  that  which  they  were  ignorant 
ol,  was  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost :  and  therefore  .lohn  might  baptizt;  in  the  name  of  the 
Trinity,  notwith.standing  this  ignorance  of  his  disciples- 

To  this  I  answer.  AUhough  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  is 
an  article  of  the  public  faith  and  explicit  profession  of  the 
go.spel  church  ;  yet  it  was  not  so  under  the  former  dispen- 
sation By  the  clearer  light  of  the  New  Testameiu  we  are 
plainly  taught  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and  are  enabled 


131 

to  ills  Apostles  to  make  disciples  of  all  nations.  In 
this  institution,  we  may  observe,  the  word  teach  is  twice 
used,  accordin.o;  to  our  translation.  "  Go  teach  ail 
nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  So.i,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  teaching  them 
to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  1  have  commanded 
you.''     But  in  the  original,  they  are  tv/o  different 

to  discover  some  references  to  it  and  intimations  of  it,  in 
the  writings  of  Mus>es  and  ilie  projjhets  But  were  we  to 
collect  our  knowledge  of  ii  or.ly  from  the  Old  Testament, 
we  should  find  thai  it  is^  not  tht- re  so  plainly  revealed  as  to 
sui)pose  it  to  be  tlie  common  faith  of  the  Jewish  church, 
held  forth  by  an  explicit  prof  ssion  ;  nor  so  plainly  taught, 
but  that  these  disciples  of  John  may  easily  be  supposed  to 
be  ignorant  of  it;  yea,  such  strangers  to  it  as  lionestly  to 
tell  the  apostle,  that  they  had  not  so  much  as  heard  wheth- 
er there  be  any  Holy  Ghost- 
To  say  that  what  these  disciples  confess  their  ignoraiice 
of.  was  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  his  miraculous 
gifis  on  the  day  of  pentecost,  is  not  to  the  purpose  ;  for  our 
being  baptized  unto  the  T  rinity,  refers  to  the  third  person 
in  the  God-head,  not  so  much  with  respect  to  his  miraculous 
gifts,  as  to  hi§  sanctifying  influences 

4  Admitting-  that  Luke  had  finished  his  account  of  the 
apostle's  discourse  in  the  fourth  verse;  it  was  proper  and 
agreeable  to  his  common  customs  to  introduce  his  own 
words,  in  his  recording-  tiie  discourses  of  others,  with  the 
word  de,  .]U*tJn  the  manner  he  has  done  here.  See  Luke's 
Gospeh  chap.  XX.  16  '  And  when  they  htard  it,  they  said, 
God  forbid."  I'he  words  "  akonsantes  ile  eipon"  cannot  be- 
long to  the  precedmg  discourse  of  Christ  ,  nor  yet  to  the 
reply  of  the  Jews  -.  but  are  manifestly  the  words  of  Luke,  in 
his  recording  this  discourse  between  Christ  and  i!ie  Jews  ; 
and  introduced  with  the  word  de  just  in  the  manner  as  in 
the  text  under  consideration  *'  akonsantes  de  ebaptisthe^-anV 
Compare  also  Acts  ii.  37.  Acts  v  21  Acts  vd  54.  and  many 
other  places.  These  reasons  which  I  have  now  ofilsred  con- 
strain me  to  believe  this  fifth  verse  contains,  not  the  words 
of  the  apostle,  but  of  Luke:  and  tliat  these  disciples  who  had 
before  received  John's  baptism,  were  now  baptized  into 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  critical  remarks  of  many  great  and  learned  men  on 
this  text,  giving  it  a  contrary  signification,  will,  I  hope,  be 
admitted  as  a  sufficient  excuse  for  this  long  note. 


132 

^vortl5 ;  doubtless  because  difFercrit  things  were  iu- 
tended  by  them.  These  two  Avords  in  the  Gr^ek 
language,  although  they  have  some  agreement  in  their 
significations,  yet  they  have  also  some  diflercnce.— 
The  first  word,  in  strictness  of  speech,  signifies  to 
discijilc  J  but  the  second  word  properly  signifies  to 
teach  or  instruct  ;  as  is  commonly  observed  by  Anno- 
tators.  And  therefore  the  most  exact  translation  of 
the  text  would  be,  "  Go  disciple  all  nations,  baptizing 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  :  teaching  them  to  observe  ail 
things  whatsoever  1  have  commanded  you."  Or 
without  referring  to  the  Greek  ;  our  English  transla- 
tion conveys  the  same  distinction  between  these.,  tv/o 
words  ;  as  they  are  both  explained,  and  have  their 
precise  meaning  fixed  by  our  Lord,  in  the  words  fol- 
lowing each  of  them.  "  Go,  teach  all  nations,  bapti- 
zing them."  The  word  bapJiziiig^  which  follows  utter, 
explains  and  fixes  the  meaning  of  the  word  teach, 
which  goes  before.  And  so  in  the  latter  word  teach- 
ii}g^  the  meaning  of  it  is  fixed  by  what  follows,  ''  to 
observe  all  things  whatsoever  1  have  commanded  you." 
The  thing  commanded  to  be  done  in  the  first  word 
teach-,  is  performed  by  baptizing  them  :  but  the  thing 
commanded  to  be  done  in  the  second  word  teachings 
is  performed  by  instructing  them  which  have  been 
baptized,  to  observe  all  things  whatsoev%i'  Christ  hcts 
commanded.  Tise  text  therefore,  as  it  now  standi  ia 
our  translation,  ii'  the  sense  of  it  is  taken  according  to 
the  rules  of  just  construction,  will  give  precisely  the 
same  meaning  as  it  would  have  done,  if  it  had  been 
translated,  ^o,  disciple  all  nations^,  bafitizing  ihtvh  ^''c- 
Upon  the  v/hole  then,  it  appears  from  the  institu- 
tion itself,  us  welLas  from  the  examples  of  the  apcs- 
tles,  that  tlic  way  in  v.iiich  they  were  to  make  disci- 
ples of  all  nations  was  by  baptizing  them.  There  is 
110  mention  made,  r.or  any  direction  given  about  re- 
quiring people  to  mnke  any  verbal  promise,  or  to 
bring  themselves  under  any  previous  covenant- en- 
g-agcment?;  before  they  were  to  baptize  them  ;   but  it 


133 

is  baptism  itself  by  which  they  are  visibly  made  the 
disciples  of  Christ,  the  subjects  of  his  kingdom,  or 
members  of  his  church.  By  that  ordinance,  a  person: 
is  set  apcU  t  from  the  rest  of  the  world  ;  and  is  feder- 
ally sanctified,  or  consecrated,  to  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Ghost,  wliose  name  is  thereby  put  upon  them. 
Thus  the  import  or  signification  oftliat  ordinance  is 
plainly  fixed  and  determined,  in  its  confirming  a 
covenant  relation  between  God  and  the  person  bapti- 
zed.. And  herein  lies  the  difference  between  bap- 
tism and  the  Loi-d's  supper  ;  baptism  is  an  initiating' 
ordinance,  that  is>  an  ordinance  by  which  we  enter 
into  covenant  w'nh  God,  or  have  that  relation  public- 
ly sealed  upon  us  ;  and  for  this  reason  it  is  but  once 
to  be  admuiistered  to  the  same  person  :  whereas  the 
Lord's  supper  is  often  to  be  received,  because  it  is 
the  design  of  that  ordinance,  io  bring  to  reyyiembrance. 
We  therein  enter  into  no  new  covenant  relation  with 
God  different  from  what  we  were  in  before  ;  but 
rather  call  to  mind,  and  renew  our  covenant  engage- 
ments :  But  baptism  is  our  first  entrance  into,  orcon- 
firmaion  of  our  covenant  with  God  ;  and  it  is  an  ev^ 
crlasting  covenant  that  can  never  be  made  void.  In- 
deed, this  covenant  may  be  broken,  that  is,  we  may 
carry  ourselves  so  contrary  to  it  as  to  forfeit  all  the 
privileges  of  it  ;  and  may  be  turned  out  of  the  church, 
as  persons  condenmed  l^y  the  covenant,  and  cut  oft* 
from  all  the  privileges  and  blessings  of  it  :  but  the 
covenant  can  never  be  disannulled  ;  but  it  remains  as 
the  rule  by  which  the  ofiender  shall  be  finally  judged 
and  condemned.  That  tiie  covenant  which  is  confirmed 
upon  us  in  baptism,  is  thus  an  everlasting  covenant, 
appears  from  this,  that  although  a  person  for  his  bad 
conduct,  should  be  cut  off  f;  oin  God's  covenant  peo* 
pie  ;  yet  th.ere  is  room  for  repentance,  and  upon  his 
repentance,  the  church  will  restore  him  :  but  there  is 
no  re-baptizing  to  be  used  in  this  case  ;  which  shovrs 
that  the  covenant  relation  si  ill  subsists,  although  a 
person  by  his  bad  conduct  forleiLS  the  privileges  of  it,; 
instead  of  enjoying  privileges  by  it,  the  obsthiate  of- 
12 


154 

fender  is  bound  over  to  an  aggravated  condemnaiioto 
by  the  covenant. 

As  the  covenant  we  enter  into  by  baptism  is  ever- 
lasting, so  tlie  bonds  of  it  are  very  sacred  :  the  per- 
son is  thereby  devoted  to  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost  ;  is  laid  under  the  most  sacred  engagements 
to  renounce  the  ways  of  sin  ;  the  tervice  of  his  own 
lusts,  and  the  vanities  of  this  evil  world  ;  and  to  yield 
himself  up  to  God  without  reserve.  Gal  iii.  27. 
"  As  many  of  you  as  have  been  baptized  into  Christ, 
have  put  on  Christ.**  We  thereby  not  only  put  on  a 
profession  of  Christianity  ;  but  we  also  come  under 
obligations  to  have  an  answerable  frame  of  heart,  and 
manner  of  life.  We  must  so  put  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  as  to  be  clothed  with  his  righteousness  and 
adorned  with  his  image  ;  that  both  in  the  eye  of  God 
who  sees  the  heart,  and  in  the  eye  of  man  who  sees 
our  actions,  we  may  appear  to  be  clothed  tvith  Christ. 
We  must  have  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  to- 
wards God,  according  to  the  bonds  of  the  covenant 
which  is  sealed  upon  us  in  that  ordinance.  I.  Peter, 
iii.  21.  "  The  like  figure  whereunto,  even  baptism 
doth  also  now  save  us,  (not  the  putting  away  of  the 
filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience 
towards  God)  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ." 
Without  this  answer  of  a  good  conscience,  our  cov- 
enant relation  to  God  will  be  matter  of  aggravated 
condemnation  to  us. 

If  baptism  is  that  by  which  we  enter  into  covenant 
with  God,  and  are  made  members  of  the  visible 
church,  as  I  trust  bus  been  sufficiently  proved  ;  it 
follows,  that  all  baptized  children  are  to  be  esteemed 
the  real  members  of  the  church,  and  entitled  to  all 
the  privileges  of  its  commjnion,  which  they  are  ca- 
pable of  improving.  It  is  therefore  here  necessary  to 
exiiibit  some  evidence  of  the  divine  right  of  infant 
baptism. 

God  has,  from  the  beginning,  included  children  in 
the  same  relc  tion  to  himself  with  their  parents. 
Ihis  was  evidently  the  case  in  the  first  covenant 


133 

made  with  our  first  parents  in  their  state  of  innocence. 
It  li  iS  been  already  proved  that  the  seed  of  Adam 
were  included  with  him  in  the  first  covenant.  And 
when  the  covenant  of  grace  was  brought  in  after  the 
full,  through  the  interposition  of  the  Mediator,  Ad- 
am's seed  were  equally  interested  in  it,  with  himself. 
God  held  said  to  Adam  in  the  first  covenant,  *'  But  of 
the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  eril,  thou  sbalt 
not  eat  of  it  :  for  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof 
thou  shah  surely  die."  And  had  it  not  been  for  the 
mediation  of  Christ,  which  took  place  between  God 
and  fallen  man  when  the  promise  of  the  seed  of  the 
woman  who  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head,  was 
given,  he  would  have  died  on  the  day  that  he  sinned. 
But  by  giving  this  promise,  the  covenant  of  grace  was 
introduced,  and  Adam  was  put  into  a  new  state  of  pro- 
bation under  it.  If  the  first  covenant  had  h:-.d  its  full 
operation,  Adam  and  his  seed  would  have  been  cut 
oft"  at  one  stroke :  but  by  the  Mediator  he  was  re- 
prieved from  present  death  ;  and  his  seed  were 
born  into  the  world  according  to  the  originally  appoin- 
ted method  of  ordinary  generation  to  stand  probationers 
under  the  covenant  of  grace,  upon  the  same  fooling; 
■with  him.  All  this  ;^  CViClcr.t  from  facts  too  plain  to 
be  denied.  Here  God  began  his  visible  church  with 
Adam  ;  and  this  church  was  the  church  of  Christ,  as 
is  evident,  because  that  dispensation  was  the  fruit  of 
ins  mediation.  And  it  is  equally  evident  that  his  seed 
were  as  much  members  of  the  church,  and  by  birth 
interested  in  all  the  privileges  of  that  dispensation,  as 
Adam  himself  was  :  their  natural  birth  v/as  obtained 
by  tiie  introduction  of  the  new  covenant,  which  shows 
that  the  privileges  of  the  covenant  were  their  birth 
right. 

So  also  the  church,  as  established  by  the  dispensa- 
tion given  to  Abraham,  is  the  church  of  Christ.  For 
the  Abrahamic  dispensation  was  properly  the  gospel, 
as  the  apostle  testifies.  Gal.  iii.  8.  "The  scripture 
foreseeing  that  God  would  justify  the  heathen  through 
ittith,  preached  before  the  gospel  imto  Abraham,  say- 


130 

ihg,  in  tlice  sliall  all  nations  be  blessed.*'  As  tbO-t 
dispensation  was  a  dispensation  of  the  covenant  of 
grace,  or  was  really  the  gospel ;  so  the  church  there- 
by established,  was  the  cnurch  of  Christ.  Christ  has 
bad  a  church  in  all  ages,  and  he  has  never  had  but 
one  ;  although  various  have  been  the  dispensations 
by  which  it  has  been  outwardly  establislied  among 
men.  The  church  of  Christ  therefore  at  this  day,  is 
the  same  church  as  was  set  up  in  the  days  of  Adam. 

Some  perhaps  may  here  object,  that  the  covenant 
with  Abraham  w  ♦  typical,  and  was  therefore  abolish- 
ed when  Christ  came  ;  and  for  that  reason  cannot  be 
admitted  as  an  evidence  of  the  divine  right  of  infant 
baptism. 

But  to  this  I  answer  by  a  peremptory  denial  that 
the  Abrp.hamic  covenant  was  typical.  That  there 
were  types  and  shctdows  in  the  former  dispensation  I 
readily  grant  ;  the  law  of  Moses  was  full  of  them. 
But  the  covenant  with  Abraham  was  not  a  shadow  of 
g-ood  tilings  to  come  ;  but  a  plain  and  express  ap- 
pointment for  the  time  tiien  present,  of  a  covenant 
between  God  and  him,  and  his  seed.  And  the  great 
Xvutn  held  up  to  public  view  in  it,  was  that  such  fi.ith 
as  Abrahani  h^i%  would  justify  and  save  all  such  a&^ 
bave  it.  See  Rom.  iv.  11  "  And  he  received  the 
sign  of  circumcision,  a  seal  of  the  righteousness  of 
the  faith  which  he  had,  bein,v  yet  uncircumcised." 
This,  instead  of  being  abolished,  is  the  great  truth 
which  runs  thiough  the  whole  gospel.  Covenants 
can  never  be  abolished  till  the  engagements  of  both 
parties  in  the  covenant  are  fulfilled  ;  and  promises 
^tand  in  for'  e  till  they  are  performed.  Now  the 
thing  promised  to  Abraham  was,  that  in  his  seed 
should  all  nations  be  blessed.  As  long  therefore  as 
there  remains  any  of  the  nations  of  the  earth  to  be 
blessed  in  Christ,  who  is  niore  especially  the  seed 
meant ;  so  long  the  covenant  which  God  made  with 
him  stands  in  force.  And  this  is  the  light  in  whicli 
the  apostle  understood  that  covenant,  as  appe;irsfrom 
^al.  iii.  16.     "  Now  te  Abraham  and  his  seed  were 


137 

the  promises  made.  He  saith  not,  And  to  seeds,  as 
of  many  ;  but  as  of  one,  And  to  thy  seed,  which  is 
Christ."  Compared  with  verse  29.  "  And  if  ye  be 
Christ's,  then  ye  are  Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs  ac- 
cording to  the  promise.'*  And  hence,  Abraham  is 
calied  the  heir  of  the  world  through  the  righteous- 
ness of  faith.  Rom.  iv.  13.  Indeed,  the  particular 
rite  of  circumcision  by  which  the  covenant  at  that 
time,  was  confirmed,  is  now  superseded  by  the  chrfs- 
tian  circumcision,  or  baptism.  The  change  of  the 
particular  riie  of  confirmation,  makes  no  change  of 
the  covenant.  When  the  covenant  was  first  given  to 
Adam,  there  appears  no  other  rite  of  confirmation  to 
be  instituted  at  that  time,  but  sacrifices.  To  which 
there  is  an  allusion  in  Psalm  I.  8.  "  Gather  my 
saints  together  unto  me,  those  that  have  made  a  cov- 
enant with  me  by  sacrifice."  But  in  the  dispensa- 
tion to  Abraham,  circumcision  was  instituted  ;  and 
under  the  new  testament,  it  is  baptism  that  seals  the 
covenant :  but  ia  all  these  dispensations,  it  is  the  cov- 
enant of  grace  that  mr.kes  the  relation  between  God 
and  mankind.  And  as  it  was  in  the  first  dispensation 
of  the  covenant  of  grace  to  Adam,  that  his  seed  were 
thereby  brought  into  the  same  relation  to  God  as  he 
was  ;  so  this  likewise  very  expressly  appears  in  tne 
dispensation  to  Abraham.  Gen  xvii.  God  there 
covenanted  to  be  his  God,  and  the  God  of  his  seei 
after  him  ;  and  instituted  circumcision  as  a  token  of 
the  covenant ;  and  cominanded  him,  and  his  children 
after  him,  to  circumcise  their  seed  at  eight  days  old. 
It  is  undeniably  evident,  that  by  virtue  of  this  coven- 
ant, the  seed  of  Abraham  became  the  covenant  peo- 
ple of  God,  and  visible  church,  from  that  time  for- 
ward, till  the  gospel  dispensation  took  place.  But 
such  as  deny  infant  baptism,  deny  that  the  church  un- 
der the  gospel,  is  the  same  church  continued  that 
was  before  established  among  the  children  of  Israel, 
by  the  covenant  with  Abraham.  But  as  infants  were 
expressly  acknowledged  as  members  of  the  church 
under  the  Abrahamic  dispensation  j  therefore  if  the 
I'i* 


138 

church  now  is  the  same  church  continued,  it  will  fol- 
low that  infants  are  still  to  be  treated  as  members  of 
it.  And  in  further  confirmation  of  tliis  truth  I  shall 
mention  a  few  things. 

1.  There  were  many  promises  made  to  the  ancient 
church,  established  by  the  covenant  with  Abraham, 
which  were  not  to  be  accomplished  till  the  gospel 
dispensation  took  place  :  and  if  that  church  was  abol- 
ished before  these  promises  were  fulfilled,  and  anoth- 
er church  set  up  to  inherit  them  ;  then  the  faithful- 
ness of  God  who  had  promised  these  things  to  that 
church,  has  failed.  A  promise  to  this  purpose  we 
have  in  Isa.  liv.  1,3.  "  Sing,  O  barren  thou  that 
didst  not  bear  :  for  thou  shalt  break  forth  on  the  right 
hand,  and  on  the  left ;  and  thy  seed  shall  inherit  the 
Gentiles."  The  barren  woman  here  spoken  to,  the 
apostle  tells  us  is  Sarah.  Gal.  iv.  27.  This  promise 
was  evidently  given  to  the  church  established  by  the 
covenant  with  Abraham.  God  here  promised,  that 
the  seed  of  that  church  should  inherit  the  Gentiles  ; 
and  the  apostle  expressly  so  applies  it.  Gal.  iv.  28. 
"  Now  we  brethren,  as  Isaac  wasj  are  the  children  ot 
promise."  We  brethren,  that  is,  we  christians  of 
Gentile  nations,  are  the  children  of  promise  ;  we  are 
the  seed  of  the  church  meant  in  the  promi!-:e  Here 
then,  we  have  the  testimony  both  of  the  prophet  Isai- 
ah, and  the  apostle  Paul,  that  the  gospel  church  is 
the  same  that  subsisted  under  the  former  dispensa- 
tion. The  whole  sixtieth  chapter  is  a  promise 
made  to  the  church,  that  the  Gentiles  should  come  to 
her  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  her  rising. 
There  is  another  promise  to  the  same  purpose  in  the 
sixty-sixth  chapter,  twelfth  verse.  ''  For  thus  saith 
the  Lord,  I  will  extend  peace  to  her  like  a  river,  and 
Ihe  glory  of  the  Gentiles  like  a  flowing  stream." 
And  in  Amps  ix.  11,  12.  We  have  a  promise  men- 
.^oned  by  the  apostle,  Acts  xv.  16,  17.  "  After  this  I 
will  return,  and  will  build  again  the  tabernacle  of  - 
David,  which  is  fallen  down  :  and  I  will  build  again 
th©  ruins  Ihereofj  and  1  will  set  it  up  ;  that  the  resi- 


139 

due  of  men  might  seek  after  the  Lord,  and  all  the 
Gentiles,  upon  whom  my  ncime  is  called,  saith  the 
Lord,  who  doth  all  these  things."  Here  again,  we 
have  the  united  testimony  of  the  prophet,  and  of  the 
apostles  assembled  in  council,  that  this  promise  to 
the  ancient  church  was  to  be  fulfilled  under  the 
gospel  ;  and  that  the  gospel  is  so  far  from  pulling 
down  the  church  established,  that  it  is:  really  a  build- 
ing of  it  up.  Again  Micah  iv.  1,  2.  "  But  in  t!ie 
last  days  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  the  moun  .ain  of 
the  Lord's  house  shall  be  established  in  the  top  of  the 
mountains,  and  it  shaU  be  exalted  above  the  hilh,  and 
people  shall  flow  unto  it.  And  many  nations  shall 
come  and  say,  come  and  let  us  go  up  unto  the  moun- 
tain of  the  Lord,  and  to  the  house  of  the  God  of  Ja- 
cob ;  and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways."  Here,  the 
Gentiles  arc  said  to  go  to  the  house  of  the  God  of  Jacob, 
which  is  evidently  the  church  wiachthe  God  of  Jacob 
had  established  by  the  covenant  made  with  him,  and 
with  his  fathers.  And  in  Micah  vii.  20,  the  great  things 
which  God  would  do  for  the  gospel  church,  are  said 
to  be,  *'  Because  thou  wilt  perform  thy  truth  unto  Ja- 
cob, and  thy  mercy  to  Abraham,  which  thou  hast 
sworn  unto  our  fathers,  from  the  days  of  old"  This 
is  an  expi  ess  testimony  that  the  gospel  church  is  an 
heir  of  the  privileges  and  promises  of  the  covenant 
with  Abraham. 

Now  these  and  many  other  promises  in  the  proph- 
ets, were  m;.de  to  the  church  then  in  being  ;  wnich 
were  not  to  be  accomplished  till  the  gospel  dispensa- 
tion should  tuke  place  :  but  if  that  church  does  not 
still  live  to  inherit  tliem,  then  these  promises  have 
fallen  to  the  ground*  and  the  covenant  faithfulness 
of  God  has  failed,  which  none  can  suppose  :  and 
therefore  the  church  at  this  day,  must  be  acknowl- 
edged to  be  the  same  church  as  then  existed,  to 
which  the  promises  were  made. 

2.  As  a  further  evidence  that  the  church  under  the 
gospel  is  the  same  church  continued,  and  is  inteiest- 
ed  in  all  the  privileges  of  the  Abrahiimic  covenant ; 


140 

I  shall  mention  some  testimonies  out  of  the  Kevr 
Testament  See  Rom.  ix.  4.  There  the  apostle 
speaks  of  the  Jews  as  the  people  '*  To  whom  per- 
taineth  the  adoption,  and  the  glory,  and  the  coven- 
arits,  and  the  givins^  of  the  law,  and  the  service  of 
God,  and  the  promises."  But  how  did  these  church 
privileges  pertain  to  the  Jews  under  the  gospel,  but 
by  virtue  of  the  covenant  with  Abraham  ?  and  as  the 
seed  of  the  covenant,  not  yet  linally  rejected  ?  Indeed, 
their  refusal  of  Christ  did  forfeit  f.i^se  covenant  priv- 
ileges, as  Moses  had  forevv^arned  them  Deut.  xviii. 
15,  referred  to  by  the  apostle,  Acts  iii.  23,  ?.S  "  For 
Moses  truly  said  unto  the  fathers,  a  prophet  shall  the 
Lord  your  God  raise  up  unto  you,  of  your  brethren 
like  unto  rne  ;  him  shall  ye  hear  in  all  things  v/hat- 
soever  he  shall  say  unto  you.  And  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  that  every  soul  which  will  not  hear  that  proph- 
et, shall  be  destroyed  from  among  his  people." 
Here  the  apostle  testifies,  that  the  prophet  spoken  of 
by  Moses,  was  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  and  that  their 
not  hearing  him,  is  one  of  the  sins  for  which  they 
were  to  be  cut  off.  But  how  could  they  be  cut  off 
from  the  church,  under  the  gospel,  unless  they  v/ere 
in  it  ?  And  it  is  certain  they  never  were  in  it,  only  as 
they  were  members  of  it  under  the  former  dispensa- 
tion. This  therefore  is  an  evident  proof,  that  the 
church  is  one  and  the  same  under  both  dispensations. 
And  the  apostle  further  ur^^eth  this  argument,  in  the 
25th  verse,  to  persuai  e  them  to  hearken  to  Christ, 
that  they  n.ight  keep  their  standing  in  the  church, 
and  not  be  cut  off,  '*  Ye  are  the  children  of  the  coven- 
ant which  God  made  with  oar  fathers,  saying  unto 
Abraham,  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  kindreds  of 
the  earth  be  blessed.**  This  is  a  clear  evidence  that 
the  church  established  by  the  covenant  with  Abra- 
ham, did  continue  after  the  resurrection  of  Christ  ; 
and  the  Jews  who  were  members  of  it,  were  not  cut 
off  from  it,  till  by  their  obstinate  refusal  of  Christ, 
they  forfeited  these  privileges.  The  same  argu- 
ment the  apjstle  largely  urgeth   in   Horn.  xi.   17. 


141 

-"  And  if  some  of  the  branches  be  broken  off,  and  thoii 
being  a  wild  olive  tree,  were  grafted  in  among  thcrn, 
and  with  them  purtakest  of  the  root  and  fatness  of  the 
olive-tree."  Verse  20.  *' Well,  because  of  unbelief 
they  w^ere  broken  off.'*  Verse  23.  "  And  they  also, 
if  they  abide  not  still  in  unbelief,  shall  be  gr:  fted  in  : 
For  God  is  able  to  graft  them  in  again. **  The  olive- 
tree  from  w  hich  the  unbelieving  Jews  were  broken 
off,  and  into  which  believing  Gentiles  were  grafted, 
is  one  and  the  same  tree  :  this  cannot  be  denied. 
Some  only,  and  not  ail  the  natural  branches  were 
broken  off.  And  even  these  which  are  broken  off,  if 
they  abide  not  still  in  unbelief,  shall  be  grafted  in 
again.  But  what  shall  thev  be  grafted  into?  Shall 
the  gospel  dispensation  be  set  aside,  and  the  Aoi-a- 
hamic  dispensation  be  again  restored,  to  make  way 
for  their  being  grafted  in  again?  For  wJien  toey  be- 
come believers,  they  are  to  be  grafted  in  a^-ain,  into 
the  same  olive-tree  from  which  they  wxre  broken  off 
for  unbelief.  What  total  confusion  doth  ii  make  of 
this  whole  discourse  of  the  apostle,  to  deny  the  church 
to  be  the  same,  under  both  dispens.iCons  I  it  will 
amount  to  charging  the  apostle  with  G:rd3s  abuse  and 
perversion  oi  tl!e  sci'ipture,  in  l)is  applying  these  tlungs 
to  the  church,  and  to  the  rejection  of  the  Jews  from  it 
for  their  unbelief.  The  Jews  had  most  grievously 
sinned  in  crucifying  the  Son  of  God  ;  for  which,  af- 
ter the  gGspel  dispensation  took  place,  God  dealt 
Avith  them  as  persons  under  suspension,  for  a  season, 
that  the  offer  of  the  gospel  miij;ht  be  first  made  unto 
them.  But  by  coiitinuing  obstinate  in  unbelief,  they 
appear  to  be  wholly  cut  off,  as  God  by  Moses,  had 
threatened  them.  Therefore  the  apostles,  in  this  time 
o!  their  suspension,  mightproperly  urge  their  interest 
in  the  covenant,  as  a  motive  to  hearken  to  the  gospel. 
I  will  mention  but  one  text  more  under  th^s  head,  and 
that  is  Gal.  iii.  It  is  manifestly  the  design  of  the  apos- 
tle in  iliis  chapter,  to  show  that  the  covenant  with  Abra- 
ham extends  to,  and  is  in  force  under  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation ;   that  he  might  thcrcl)y  estallish  his  doc- 


142 

trine  of  justification  by  faith,  without  the  deeds  of  the 
law.  See  verses,  6—9.  "  Even  as  Abraham  believed 
God-  and  it  was  accounted  to  him  for  righti-^ousness. 
Know  ye  therefore,  that  they  which  are  of  fuitli,  the 
same  are  the  children  of  Abraham.  And  tJie  scripture 
foreseehig  thatGod  would  justify  the  hecthen  throuj^h 
faith,  preached  before  the  gospel  unto  Abraham,  say- 
iHJ^,  In  thee  shall  all  nations  be  blessed  so  then  they 
which  be  of  faiih,  are  blessed  with  faithful  Abra- 
ham.'* -\nd  hence  he  observes,  verse  14.  "That 
the  blessinp;  of  Abraham  is  come  on  the  Gentiles, 
through  Jesus  Christ."  More  fully  to  lay  open  and 
confirm  this  matter,  he  adds,  ver.  15,  16,  17.  *' Breth- 
ren, 1  speak  atier  the  manner  of  men  ;  Though  it  be 
but  a  man's  covenant,  yet  if  it  be  coniirmed,  no  man 
disaunuileth,  or  adde'ih  thereto.  How  to  x'^brahain 
and  Ids  seed  were  the  promises  made.  Ke  saith  not, 
Jind  to  seeds,  as  of  many  ;  but  as  of  me,  and  to  thy 
seed,  which  is  Christ,  and  this  1  Sciy,  that  the  covenant 
thut  was  ccufirmed  before  of  God  in  Christ,  (or  to 
Christ)  tne  law  which  was  four  hundred  and  thirty 
years  uftei',  cannot  dis^annul,  that  it  should  make  the 
promise  of  none  efi'ect."  Here  tha  apostle  shows  us 
VS.'J.  Christ  is  more  t:^  ecially  intended  as  the  seal 
mentioned  in  t'fjo  CMVa?i.trit,  to  v/bom  tlie  promise  was 
made,  that  is,  Christ  mystical  ;  or  Christ  as  the  head 
of  that  body  of  which  believers  are  the  members. 
And  this  covenant  could  not  be  disannulled  by  giving 
the  law.  For  although  covenants  may  be  altered  four 
hundred  and  thirty  years  after  they  are  made,  by  the 
mutual  consent  of  the  covenanting  parties,  as  well  as 
the  next  day  ;  yet  the  covenant  made  with  Christ,  hi 
Abraham,  could  not  be  made  void  by  givin?:^  the  law, 
because  he  did  not  then  exist  as  the  seed  of  Abra- 
ham ;  and  therefore  could  give  no  consent  to  any  al- 
teration in  the  coveucint.  For  whatever  existence 
Christ  had  before  ;  yet  he  did  not  exist  as  the  seed  of 
Abraham  till  his  incarnation. 

The  apostle  next  proceeds  to  answer  the  grand  ob" 
jection  of  tiie  Jews,  vcr.   19,  2Q.    *' Wherefore,  tben 


143 

scrveth  the  law  ?  It  was  added  because  of  Iransgre^* 
sions,  till  the  seed  should  come,  to  whom  the  promise 
was  made  ;  and  it  was  ordained  by  angels  in  the  hand 
of  a  Mediator.  Now  a  Mediator  is  not  of  one  ;  but 
God  is  one."  Moses  evidently  acted  the  part  of  a  Me- 
diator between  God  and  the  children  of  Israel  at  the 
time  of  giving  the  law  :  for  which  reason,  1  suppose, 
commentators  have  generally  understood  him  to  be 
the  Mediator  here  meant.  But  the  apostle  is  here 
speaking,  not  of  giving  the  law  ;  but  of  its  continu- 
ance, and  the  purpose  it  was  to  serve,  till  the  seed 
should  come ;  in  which  respect  it  was  ordained  by 
angels  in  the  hand  of  a  Mediator.  Moses  therefore 
could  not  be  the  Mediator  here  intended.  If  we  look 
into  the  dispensation  by  Moses,  v/e  shall  see  the  mor- 
al law  comprised  in  the  ten  commnndments  as  the 
leading  part  of  it  ;  the  design  of  wiuch  :s^to  convince 
of  sin.  And  in  addition  lo  this,  is  the  institution  of 
sacrifices,  and  the  appointUiCit  of  the  priesthood;  es- 
pecially the  high  priest,  who  on  the  j^rcat  day  of  atone- 
ment, went  into  the  most  holy  pluce,  to  sprinkle  the 
blood  of  the  sacrifice  before  the  mercy  seat  :  by  all 
which  Christ  Jesus  the  great  high-priest  of  our  pro- 
fession, who  is  now  passed  into  heaven,  to  appear  in 
the  presence  of  God  for  us,  was  eminently  shadowed 
forth.  The  high-priest  therefore  is  evident-y  the 
Mediator  of  whom  the  apostle  here  speaks.  But  to 
act  as  Mecliiit©r  under  that  dispensation  was  not  the 
office  of  one  man  ;  but  a  succession  of  priests  offering 
often  times  the  same  sucrifice,  to  the  same  God  ; 
which  plainly  shows  there  was  no  real  atonement  for 
sin,  mude  by  those  saciificcs.  Thus  tiie  apostle 
proves  that  the  la^v  was  given  to  shadow  forth  Christ ; 
and  was  to  continue  in  force  only  till  Christ  the  seed 
of  Ai)raham  should  come.  iVnd  therefore  the  w^y  of 
ju  tificalion  exemplified  in  Abraham,  is  the  way  in 
which  all  his  seed  must  be  justified.  And  tiierefore 
he  expresseth  the  conclusion  of  his  argumciu  in  verse, 
29.''  If  ye  be  Christ's,  then  be  are  Abraham's  seed, 
and  heirs  according  to  the  promise."     To  deny  there- 


144 

tore  that  the  covenant  made  with  Abraham  extends 
to,  and  Is  in  force  with  the  church,  uiuier  the  gospel 
dispensation,  is  as  much  as  to  say,  the  apostle  has 
here  LiScd  a  falje,  and  tallacious  argument  to  support 
his  favorite  doctrine  ot  jusiihcation  by  faith,  witliout 
the  deeds  of  the  hiw. 

Tht  above  explanation  of  the  dark  and  difficult  I9t/i 
^20t/i  vtraes  oj  this  chapter <f  /leifectly  agrees  ivith^  and 
beautifidhj  iilustrates  the  apostle's  argument  in  this 
place  ;  and  fully  agrees  with  this  same  apostle^s  more 
/argc  explanation  cf  the  laiu,  in  his  epistle  to  the  He- 
bi'ews. 

Many  other  arguments  might  be  offered  in  proof 
of  this  truth  ;  but  1  choose  to  come  nearer  to  the 
point  we  arc  upon,  and  essay  to  prove  it  with  a  spe- 
cial reference  to  the  ciiurch  seed,  wiiich  wiii  clearly 
evince  the  divine  riv,ht  ol  inf  .nt  baptism 

I'hut  the  seed  were  included  with  their  parents  in 
the  dispensation  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  botii  to 
Adam  and  to  Auraham.,  is  indisputal>le.  And  unless 
the  tenor  of  that  covenant  is  ciianged,  the  church 
which  was  thereby  related  to  and  in  covenant  with 
God,  must  be  still  the  sam.e,  and  an  heir  of  the  privi- 
leges and  promises  of  the  covenant,  with  respect  to 
the  church  seed.  This  is  also  evident  from  the  ex- 
press terms  in  which  many  promises  a-e  given  to  the 
church,  which  relate  to  the  times  of  the  gospel.  A 
promise  to  this  purpose  is  made  to  the  church  in 
Psai.  xlv.  16  ''Instead  of  thy  fathers  shall  be  thy 
children,  whoni  thou  mayest  make  princes  in  all  the 
cartir.*'  Heic  the  seed  are  expressly  mentioned  ; 
and  it  is  evident  from  the  thing  premised,  that  the 
church  was  to  wait  in  faith,  till  tiie  gospel  dispensa- 
tion took  place,  and  bv  its  spread  among  the  Gentiles 
made  way  for  the  accomplishment  of  it.  Psal.  cii. 
28.  "  The  children  of  thy  serv-nts  shall  continue, 
and  their  seed  shall  be  es!ablished  before  thee.*'  If 
we  compare  the  25th  and  26th  verses  of  this  ps-ahr.; 
with  the  remarks  of  the  apostle  upon  them  in  Hcb. 
i.  10,  11,  we  shall  see  this  28!.h  verse  is  a  promise 


145 

nnade  to  Christ  respecting  his  servants  and  tlieir 
seed  ;  and  therefore  it  is  a  promise  that  believers  and 
their  seed  are  now  heirs  to,  and  interested  in.  The 
children  of  Christ's  servants  shall  continue,  and  theii* 
seed  shall  be  established  before  God  In  Isaiah  xl. 
11,  is  another  promise  to  the  church,  to  be  fulfilled 
under  the  gospel.  "  He  shall  feed  his  flock  like  a 
shepherd  ;  he  shall  gather  his  lambs  with  his  arms, 
and  carry  them  in  his  bosom."  Isa.  xlix.  22.  "  Thus 
saith  the  Lord  God,  behold,  1  will  lift  up  mine  hand 
to  the  Ger.iiles,  and  set  up  my  standard  to  the  people  ; 
and  they  shall  bring  thy  sons  in  their  arms,  and  thy 
daughters  shall  be  carried  on  their  shoulders.**  And 
in  tlie  25th  Averse  tiiere  is  this  promise  made  to  the 
church  seed.  "  I  will  save  thy  children."  Isa.  lix. 
'2\.  "As  for  me,  this  is  my  covenant  with  them, 
saith  the  Lord,  my  spirit  that  is  upon  thee,  and  my 
v/ords  which  i  have  put  in  thy  mouth,  shall  not  de- 
part out  of  thy  m.outh,  nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy 
seed,  nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy  seed's  seed,  saith  the 
Lord,  from  hencefoith  and  forever."  isa.  Ix.  4. 
*'  Thy  sons  shall  come  from  far,  and  thy  daughters 
shall  be  nursed  at  thy  side.'*  Isa.  Ixv.  23.  "  They 
arc  the  seed  of  the  blessed  of  the  Lord,  and  their 
ofispring  with  them."  Isa.  Ixvi.  22.  "  For  as  the 
new  heavens,  and  the  new  earth  which  I  shall  make, 
shall  remain  before  me,  saith  the  Lord,  so  shall  youT 
seed,  and  your  name  remain."  Jerem.  xxx.  20. 
" 'ilieir   chiiuren  also  si  all   be   as  aforetime.'* 

Now  these,  and  many  more  such  like  promises 
were  made  lo  the  church,  for  the  accomplishment  of 
•  hich,  she  was  to  wait  in  faith,  till  the  gospel  dispen- 
sation should  bring  her  the  prondsed  blessings.  The 
church  therefore  under  the  gospel,  is  evidently  in- 
terested in  these  promises,  and  an  heir  of  these  privi- 
leges, with  respect  to  her  seed.  It  is  abunJuritly  ev- 
ident that  the  apostles  esteemed  the  church  seed, 
under  the  gospel,  as  joint  heirs  with  their  parents,  to 
church  principles.  1  his  appears  both  from  theii' 
•testimony  and  practice.     In  proot  of  this,  I  will  rnqsP^ 


14(3 

lion,  Acts,  ii.  39.  "  For  the  promise  is  to  you,  and 
to  your  chiklreu.  and  to  all  that  are  uilir  oft*,  even  as 
many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call."  It  will  admit 
of  bome  dis])Utc,  what  promise  the  apostle  here  speaks 
of:  but  all  will  allow  it  to  be  either  the  promise  to 
Abraham,  to  be  his  God,  and  the  God  of  his  seed  ; 
or  ihe  promise  whicii  the  apostle,  in  his  foregoing 
discoui'se,  recited  from  the  prophet  Joel.  But  be  it 
either  of  them,  it  will  anmunt  to  the  same  thing.  If 
it  is  conceded  to  he  the  prondse  in  the  covenant  with 
Abrahani,  it  will  follow,  thai  in  the  apostles  view,  in- 
fants are  now,  as  much  included  in  the  covenant  with 
their  parents,  as  they  were,  in  the  covenant  with 
Abraham  ;  and  must  be  admitted  as  an  ungainsayable 
evidence  of  the  divine  right  of  infant  baptism. 

liut  to  me,  1  confess,  it  appears  more  rational  to 
suppose  the  promise  intended  in  tl'is  text,  is  that 
which  the  apostle  had  mentioned  in  his  foregoing 
discourse,  taken  fiom  the  prophet  Joel,  ii.  28,  Sec. 
because  thatistlie  only  promise  expiessly  mentioned, 
to  which  he  could  have  reference  ;  and  because  he 
here  recites  tlie  last  clause  of  the  promise,  as  it  is 
contained  in  the  prophet.  "  The  remnant  whom  the 
Lord  shall  call  '*  Or  as  the  apostle  expresseth  it, 
*'  As  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call."  It  is  ob- 
servable that  the  prophet  makes  no  mention  of  chil^ 
^/j'^Tz,  in  this  promise.  And  the  reason,  or  authority 
■which  the  apostle  had,  to  put  in  childien  with  their 
parents,  in  this  application  of  the  promise,  saying, 
•'  The  promise  is  to  you,  and  to  your  children,"  will 
appear  plain,  by  looking  into  the  piomise  as  given  to 
the  church,  by  the  prophet  Joel.  The  church  to 
■which  the  prophet  gave  this  promise,  was  evidently 
and  conlessedly,  the  chtuxh  that  was  established  by 
the  dispensation  to  Abraham,  which  took  in  children 
■svith  their  parents.  Every  promise  therefore  which 
God  made  to  that  church,  from  time  to  time  by  his 
servants  the  prophets,  must  be  necessarily  understood 
agreeable  to  the  tenor  of  that  covenant  by  which  the 
church  was  established,  and  under  which  it  received 


J47 

the  promise.  And  hereby  it  appears  that  such  prom- 
ises extend  to  the  church  seed.  Theretbie  tlie  apos- 
tle hud  good  right,  and  authority  from  the  promise  it- 
self, to  mention  their  children  as  Leing  interested  in 
it,  although  children  were  not  expiessly  meniioned 
by  the  prophet. 

The  evasion  of  the  anabaptists  therefore  upon  this 
text,  is  notjiing  to  the  purpose.  They  say,  *'  The 
children  must  be  first  called,"  before  tlie  promise  can 
belong  to  them  ;  an<l  that  therefore  they  imisi  Jirst 
grow  ufi  to  years  of  understanding.  By  tliis  evasion, 
they  make  tlie  apostle  assert  that  for  truth,  which 
was,  in  fuct,  false.  I'or  \i  the  promise  did  not  belonj^' 
to  the  children  till  afier  they  were  grown  to  years 
of  understandi.ig,  and  liad  the  call  of  the  gospel  set 
before  them,  ihe  apostle  could  not  knew  that  the 
piomise  would  ever  belong  to  them.  Yea,  I  say,  the 
apostle  could  not  know  this,  even  by  inspiration  ;  be- 
cause it  was  false  in  fact.  For  as  lo  the  children  of 
6uch  Jews  as  continued  in  unbelief;  they  were  soon 
given  up  by  God  to  deslrutiion  ;  the  chief  of  them 
killed  by  famine,  sword,  and  pestilence  ;  their  temple 
and  ciiy  destroyed  ;  and  such  as  escaped,  sent  into 
captivity  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  and  but  few  of  them 
even  to  this  day,  really  enjoy  the  call  of  the  gospel. 
And  besides,  the  aposile  speaks  in  tlie  time  present, 
and  saith,  *'  The  promise  is  to  you  and  your  chil- 
dren :''  but  if  the  promise  did  not  belong  to  theii- 
children  at  that  very  time,  it  does  not  appear  that  it 
ever  did  belong  to  them  at  all.  And  further  ;  it  is 
evident  that  the  apostle  mentions  children^  as  an  ar- 
gument to  influence  his  hearers  ;  whereas,  if  th.ey  had 
understood  him  to  represent  their  children  in  no  bet- 
ter case  than  such  as  were  afar  off,  there  could  be  no 
motive  in  it  :  but  it  would  rather  raise  a  piejudice 
against  the  gospel,  in  the  minds  of  these  Jews,  who 
had  ever  been  used  to  consider  God,  as  in  covenant 
with  their  children,  as  well  as  wilh  themselves.  But 
5uch  quiijbles,  and  fooiish  reasoning  must  never  be 
ascribed  to  the  apostles.     No  ;  their  doctrine  is  with- 


143 

out  guile ;  and  this  their  testimony  was  gTOUHded 
upon  the  oath  and  covenant  of  God  with  Abraham, 
whicii  warranted  them  to  use  this  argument  with  the 
Jews,  to  persuade  them  to  acknowledge  Christ,  as  the 
^vay  to  secure  an  interest  in  the  promises  and  privi- 
leges of  the  covenant,  under  the  gospel,  to  themselves 
and  their  children. 

Again,  we  have  a  most  express  testimony  that  the 
infant  seed  of  the  church  are  included  in  the  covenant 
with  their  parents,  under  the  gospel,  in  like  mannei* 
as  they  were  in  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  by  the 
apostles  and  elders  when  they  came  together  to  con- 
sider of  this  very  point,  Acts,  xv.  10.  "  Now  there- 
fore why  tempt  ye  God,  to  put  a  yoke  upon  the  neck 
of  the  disciples,  which  neither  our  fathers  nor  we 
"Were  able  to  bear  ?"  It  is  here  evident  that  the  in- 
fant seed  of  the  gospel  church  are  declared  to  be  dis- 
ciples ;  w^hich  fully  conlirms  the  preceding  explana- 
tion of  the  apostle's  words  in  his  saying  <'the  promise 
is  to  you,  and  to  your  children." 

Another  testimony  of  the  apostle,  we  have  in  Gal. 
iv.  28.  "  Now  we  brethren,  as  Isaac  was,  are  the 
children  of  promise  "  This  is  spoken  to  the  church- 
es ofGalatia,  wiiich  were  gospel  churches,  composed 
chiefly  of  Gentile  converts  ;  and  the  apostle  testifies 
that  they  are,  as  Isaac  was,  the  children  of  promise. 
Isaac  is  mentioned  by  name  in  the  covenant  with 
Abraham,  as  the  seed  in  particular  with  wdiom  God 
would  establish  his  covenant ;  and  who  was  to  have 
the  covenant  confiimed  upon  him  at  eight  days  old, 
including  his  seed  after  him.  To  deny  therefore  that 
the  gospel  church  is  interested  in  the  Abrahamic 
covenant,  or  that  its  infant  seed  are  entitled  to  cov- 
enant seals,  is  a  full  contradiction  to  the  apostle. 

So  likewise,  Gal.  iii.  13,  14.  "  Christ  hath  re- 
deemed us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a 
curse  for  us  : — that  the  blessing  of  Abraham  might 
come  on  the  Gentiles  through  Jesus  Christ."  Here 
the  apostle,  in  express  terms,  tells  us,  That  the  bles- 
sing of  Abraham  is  come  on  the  Gentiles.    And  what 


149 

this  blessini^  of  Abraham  is,  tivat  is  here  ir.ten'^Ied,  ap- 
pears fro  II  the  ne>ii  v/ards,  '-  T  i  d  wc  mi^-ln  receive 
the  pro-nise  of  the  spirit  tiif.U'j^ii  i\iih  ;"  wtiicli  prom- 
ise of  tlie  spirit  was  the  principal  thinj^  coniaiiiecl  in, 
and  the  chief  substance  of  tiie  covenant  tiiat  Gud 
made  witii  iiini,  ''  To  be  i  God  unto  tiiee,  and  to  thy 
seed  uRer  thee.'*  Tnis  blessing  of  Abraham  is  come 
on  the  Gen'dies. 

To  the  same  purpose  are  the  apostle's  words  in 
Eph.  ii.  12.  "  At  ihat  time,  ye  were  without  C!irist, 
beiuij  idiens  fr^m  the  coinmonweiilth  ©f  Israel,  and 
siraugers  from  the  covenants  of  promise.'*  \nd 
chap.  iii.  6.  '*■  That  t^ie  t  ientlies  should  be  fcll;j\v- 
heirs,  luid  of  the  same  body,  and  partakers  of  nis 
promi-.e  in  Christ,  l)y  the  gospel.^  In  noth  these 
texts,  believi  ijj  Gentiles  are  represented  as  bein;.^'  no 
more  stransjjers  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel  ; 
but  as  uien.i()crs  of  tiie  same  i:)ody,  as  fellosv-heirs  of 
the  same  privi'es^'es,  and  p  iriakerb  of  the  same  pro.n- 
ises  vviih  liie  commonvvcalLh  of  Israel  :  But  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  seed  were  parts  and  members  of  that 
commonwealth,  and  heirs  tof^-ether  with  tiieir  p  u'ents 
of  the  promises  and  privile-'cs  of  it.  And  let  it  be 
here  observed,  that  tne  aposJe  is  here  spcakiu:^  of  the 
ch  irch  as  a  visiole  borly,  a  commonvvealtii  :  he  is  not 
speakiii!^'  of  sincere  l)eiievcrs,  as  so  many  p.trticular 
persons,  or  inclividu.ds  in  an  unconnected  state  ;  but 
as  a  visible  b  )Ciy,  a  Doily-poiitic,  a  common  weaitii  : 
and  is  tncrefore  evidently  setting  f)rtii  the  privileges 
of  their  visible  church  standing.  And  the  lenor  of 
his  argument  necess  irily  extends  the  privileges  of  the 
churcn  to  the  church  seed  ;  not  of  Jews  only  but  of 
Gentiles  also. 

The  remark,  also  of  the  apostle  upon  the  dealing 
of  God  with  Noah,  in  Heb.  xi.  7.  contain  the  same 
representation  of  the  matter.  "  By  faith  Noah  being 
warned  of  God  of  things  not  seen  as  yet,  moved  with 
fear,  prepared  an  ark  to  the  saving  of  his  house  ;  by 
the  vvhicn  he  cunde  nned  the  world,  and  became  heir 
cf  the  righteousness  which  is  by  faith.''  It  was  with 
1^  * 


150 

Noah  that  God  established  his  covenant,  when  the 
whole  world  had  corrupted  themselves.  Gen.  vi,  18. 
He  only  is  mentioned  as  a  believer  ;  yet  his  whole 
family  shared  great  privileges  by  the  covenant,  being 
saved  in  the  ark  during  the  flood.  And  the  apostle 
Peter  speaks  of  the  same  things  I.  Pet.  lii.  21."  The 
like  figure  whereunto,  baptism,  doth  also  now  save 
us,  (not  the  putting  away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but 
the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  toward  God,)  by  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ."  By  baptism  v/e  secure 
a  great  privilege  to  our  children  which  may  be  com- 
pared to  the  saving  of  Noah's  family  in  the  ark,  where- 
by they  were  preserved  to  the  enjoyment  of  church 
privileges,  when  the  rest  of  the  world  were  drowned 
by  the  flood. 

Thus  have  I  collected  some  from  among  many 
texts,  both  in  the  old  and  new  testament,  which  evi- 
dently show  the  visible  church  under  the  gospel,  to 
be  that  very  church  which  was  established  by  the  cov» 
lenant  with  Abraham  ;  which  expressly  repiesent  the 
church  seed  um'er  the  gospel,  to  be  joint  heirs  with 
their  parents  to  the  privileges  of  the  covenaBt  :  and 
the  texts  produced  from  the  new  testament  evidently 
■show  that  the  apostles  so  understood  them. 

It  is  objected  that  we  have  no  instance  or  exam- 
ple of  the  apostle's  baptizing  any  infants.  I  might 
for  argument  sake  grant  it  :  for  we  need  not  any,  to 
establish  infant  baptism.  It  is  undeniably  evident 
that  the  seed  were  included  with  their  parents  in  all 
ibrmer  dispensations.  This  was  the  case  in  the  first 
revelation  of  the  new  covenant  to  Adam,  after  the 
fall,  when  the  visible  church  was  begun  with  him  ; 
and  his  children  continued  members  of  it  till  Cain 
apostatized,  and  went  out  from  the  pi^esence  of  the 
Lord.  This  was  the  case  in  the  renewal  of  the  cov- 
enant with  Noah.  And  this  is  most  expressly  the 
case  in  the  di>-.pensation  of  the  covenant  to  Abraham  ; 
and  with  all  the  renewals  of  it  with  his  seed  through- 
cut  all  former  ages.  And  as  it  is  manifest  by  such 
'  a  great  variety  of  sacred  texts  that  the  church  under  the 


151 

gospel,  is  not  another,  but  the  same  church  ;  and  the 
chuvch-seed  fco  frequently  and  expressly  mentioned 
in  the  prophecies  and  promises  contained  in  tlie  \vii- 
tings  of  the  former  prophets,  when  they  evidently 
speak  of  the  gospel  dispensation  ;  it  fully  proves  the 
divine  right  of  infant  baptism.  The  seed  having 
been  once  included  in  the  covenant,  is  a  sufficient 
evidence  that  they  are  still  in  it,  till  our  adversaries 
are  able  to  produce  plain  and  evident  proof  that  they 
Jiave  been  since  cut  off.  It  does  not  therefore  prop- 
erly lie  upon  us  to  prove  that  the  right  of  the  seed  to 
the  seal  of  the  covenant,  holds  good  under  the  gos- 
pel :  But  it  belongs  to  them  to  prove  that  the  seed 
of  God's  covenant  people  has  been  cut  off.  But  the 
sum  total  of  the  evidence  they  can,  or  even  pretend 
to  produce  in  the  case,  is,  that  there  is  no  instance  of 
any  infant's  being  baptized  by  the  apostles  ;  and  the 
want  of  a  capacity  in  intants  for  the  exercise  of  fuith. 

As  to  the  first  of  these  arguments,  that  we  have  no 
example  of  infant  baptism  ;  I  ansiver^  We  have  no 
need  of  any,  in  order  to  prove  the  point.  For  when 
we  consider  the  prophecies  ^and  prom.ises  of  the  old 
testament,  which  relate  to  gospel  limes,  so  expressly 
representing  the  church  seed  to  be  included  in  the 
covenant  ;  which  were  so  understood  by  the  apostles, 
who  have  expressly  applied  them  to  the  church  un- 
der the  tijospel  ;  it  will  appear  manifest  that  they  did 
baptize  inlanis  :  or  at  least,  if  it  could  be  proved  that 
they  did  not,  it  would  at  the  same  time  prove  an  in- 
consistency, and  self-contradiction  upon  the  apostles, 
which  may  not  be  supposed.  If  infants  are  cut  off, 
let  our  opponents  sliew  us  the  text  that  cuts  them 
off. 

And  as  to  the  example  of  the  apostles  ;  so  far  as 
their  example  is  recorded,  it  is  manifestly  in  favor  of 
infant  baptism.  For  when  the  Lord  opened  the  heart 
of  Lydia  to  receive  the  gospel,  her  household  were 
baptized.  Acts  xvi.  15.  And  when  the  apostle  preach- 
eci  to  the  jailor,  he  tells  him,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Cixiist  and    thou  shall  be  Siived,    and    thy 


152 

house.  Upon  which  he,  and  all  his,  were  straight- 
way baptized."  iVcts  xvi,  31,  33.  I  grant,  it  is  not 
cerlttin  there  were  any  inLnis  in  either  of  these  lUnii- 
lies  ;  but  on  the  contmry,  there  might  be  some  in 
both  ol'  them.  And  if  there  were  infants  in  either  of 
them,  it  is  plain  from  the  text,  th^t  ihey  were  bupii- 
zed,  because  the  w'.iolc  households  were  bap  izcd  ; 
which  would  not  be  true,  if  there  remaiiied  .ny 
unbapiized  children  in  eir.iicr  of  them  There  d<;es 
noL  appear  lo  be  any  believers  in  eiiliei  of  these  iami- 
lies,  bui  Lydia  and  the  jaiioi-  :  and  the  baptism  of 
their  house  holds,  whether  infants  or  aciuits,  is  repre- 
sented lo  be  on  the  covenant  right  of  the  heads  ol  the 
families,  accordin'^-  lo  lijc  most  easy  and  natural  con- 
struction of  the  words  :  vvliich  txumples  considered 
in  connexion  wich  the  repres-ontuiion  of  the  promises 
and  piivileges  which  belong  to  the  visible  cliurch, 
anei  church-seed,  as  tl'^ey  liund  recorded  hoLh  in  the 
old  unci  new  iesLani;.nt,  ;.rrc  suflicicnt  evidence  of  the 
divine  v'v^hi  of  iniant  baptism. 

When  tlie  right  of  a  person,  whether  infunt  or 
adult,  to  any  privilege  in  the  visible  church,  is  estab- 
lished by  plain  scripture  testimony,  akanugh  t.here 
should  be  no  record  of  any  exanjple  of  it,  it  is  very 
injmious  to  deprive  ihem  of  the  piivileges  lo  which 
their  right  thus  appears.  We  nave  no  example  in 
the  bible,  tliat  any  woman  ever  partook  of  the  Lord's 
supper.  But  who  ever  doubted  of  their  right  to  it, 
f]&r  such  a  reason  as  this  ?  And  yet,  there  is  as  much 
setose,  or  raihcv  tionacnse  in  this  argument,  when  ap- 
plied lo  ciiildren,  as  there  is  when  applied  to  women. 
The  right  of  tne  church-seed  to  the  seals  and  piivi- 
leges of  the  covenant  of  God  with  the  visible  chuichy. 
is  so  expressly  declared  in  the  prophecies  and  piom- 
ises  delivered  to  the  church,  by  tiie  lormer  proph- 
ets, to  be  fulfilled  under  the  gospel  dispeiisation, 
wliicii  were  so  repeatedly  usserteci.  claimed  for,  and 
applied  to  the  church  by  ii:e  apostles,  that  it  must  be 
owiitd  ttiat  iheir  practice  contradicted  their  profes- 
sion and  doctrine,  if  they  denied  baptism  to  the  ini  .nt 
seed  of  believers.     So  much  siieiice  in  the  scripture 


153 

concerning  the  baptism  of  infants,  is  not  to  be  thought 
strange  of.  For  if  there  v/as,  at  that  clay,  no  dispute 
raised  about  it,  there  could  be  no  occasion  to  make 
mention  of  it  ;  their  right  being  pUdnly  asserted, 
there  was  no  need  to  subjoin  examples  of  it.  Yet  it 
is  morally  certain,  that  if  the  seed  had  been  denied 
the  seals  of  the  covenant,  it  would  have  caused  dis- 
putes, and  raised  prejudices  in  tiiC  minds  of  the  Jews 
against  the  gospel  1  or  since  their  seed  had  always 
been  acknowledged  as  included  in  tbe  covenant  of 
God,  from  the  days  of  Abraham  do'.vn  to  that  time  ; 
it  must  have  been  surprising,  and  very  grievous  to 
them,  to  tind  their  seed  cut  off  under  the  gospel. 
Such  a  change  could  not  have  failed  of  producing^ 
discontents  ana  disputes  among  a  people  who  v/ere 
so  zealous  of  the  iuw,  and  of  the  customs  of  their  fa- 
thers, as  the  believing  Jews  were-  The  silence 
therefore  of  the  new  testament  about  the  baptism  of 
infants,  is  so  far  from  being  an  argument  against  it, 
that  it  is  a  strong  and  very  conclusive  one  in  favor  o£ 
it.  For  it  their  seed  had  been  cut  off  from  the  cov- 
enant mider  the  gospel,  there  is  the  strongest  pre- 
sumption that  such  disputes  about  it  would  have 
arisen  in  the  church,  that  we  must  neressarily  have 
had  some  mention  of  it  in  some  apostolical  writings. 
How  weak  and  ridiculous  then  is  it,  to  make  the  si- 
lence of  the  scripture  an  argument  against  the  bap- 
tism of  infants,  when  its  whole  force  is  thus  evident- 
ly in  favor  of  it  ! 

And  their  other  argument  taken  from  the  incapa- 
city of  infanto  to  exercise  faith,  is  full  as  little  to  the 
purpose.  Let  them  fiisc  prove  that  the  real  exer- 
cise of  a  saving  faith  is  necessary  to  our  being  inclu- 
ded in  the  covenant  of  God  with  the  visible  church. 
Till  this  is  proved,  the  want  of  faitn  in  infants  is  no 
objection  against  their  being  baptized.  That  the  ex- 
ercise of  true  fuith  is  necessary  to  our  being  interest- 
ed in  the  promised  blessing  of  etenial  life,  is  readily 
granted  But  is  does  not  therefore  follow  that  the 
same  f«dlh  is  necessary  to  our  belonging  to  the  visible 


eliurch,  and  being  included  in  a  covenant  relation  to 
God,  under  the  covenant  of  s^race.  Was  Adum  re- 
generated after  the  fall,  betore  God  had  revealed 
to  h'm  the  covenant  of  grace  in  the  promise  of  the 
seed  of  the  woman  ?  No,  it  is  plain  he  was  not.* — 
Yet  at  that  very  linieGod  pul  him  into  a  new  state  of 
trial  for  lile  or  dccth,  under  the  dispensation  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  'n  a  church  covenant  rel-  tion  to 
hi«nse]f,  in  which  his  seed  were  irciuded  wiih  him, 
and  tney  all  coijlinued  in  t' is  reladon  tih  Cain  apos- 
tatized. Tiie  wanL  of  a  saving  hiith  both  in  Adam 
and  in  his  seed,  was  no  objection  in  the  way.  So 
also  when  God  es;al)lished  his  covenant  with  Abi^a- 
ham,  his  seed,  aUhou:;^h  by  nature  children  of  wrath 
even  as  others,  were  to  have  the  sea)  oi"  the  covenant 
put  upon  them  at  eighi:  days  old  ;  tlieir  unregenera- 
cy  was  never  objected  agc-inst  them.  And  when 
from  time  to  time  God  renewed  the  covenant  with 
his  seed,  their  unrt^genency,  aklio'  evicently  mani- 
fested in  their  lives,  was  not  attended  to  as  an  ob« 
jection  against  their  covenanting,  f'or  at  the  very 
time  when  they  stood  before  the  Lord,  to  renew  co- 
vena  t  with  him,  Moses  tells  them,  "  You  have  been 
rci^eliious  against  the  Lord,  l\om  the  day  that  1  knew 
you.  Yet  (he  Lord  bath  not  given  you  a  heart  to 
perceive,  and  eyes  to  see,  and  ears  to  hear,  unto  this 
day."  Dent.  ix.  24,  und  xxix.  4.  And  the  reason 
which  is  assigned  of  the  divine  conduct  in  that  in- 

*  Some  may  ask  why  there  is  no  room  for  the  supposition 
that  Adam  was  regenerated  before  God  Drought  in  the  new 
covenant  by  the  promise  of  the  seed  oi'  the  woman  ?  To 
such  I  answer  :  God  had  not  revealed  any  gospel-truth  to.' 
him  afier  the  fall,  before  he  gave  this  promise  And  as 
God  had  not  revealed  any  thing  for  him  to  believe,  therefore 
he  couid  not  be  a  bt  liever.  If  he  was  regenerated,  it  must 
be  such  a  kind  of  regeneration  as  may  lake  place  in  one 
who  still  continues  in  a  state  of  unbehef  But  those  who 
entertain  such  a  notion  of  that  regeneration  which  is>  taught  in 
the  gospel,  are  lO  be  classed  an>ong  those  who  still  need 
that  one  sliouid  teach  them  which  are  the  first  principles  oi 
the  oracles  of  God, 


stance  is  fuii  to  the  point  of  infant  baptism.  Deut. 
iv.  27.  "'  liecause  he  loved  tl)y  iUtiieis,  thereioie  he 
chose  ihtiv  seed  aiter  ihein."  And  this  reason  of 
the  divine  conduct  holds  equally  good  under  the  gos- 
pel ;  if  lie  loves  the  pciienLs»  he  will  choose  their 
seed  after  theni.  And  in  Deut.  x.  15,  all  other  rea- 
sons are  rejected,  ai\d  this  covenant  love  to  the  pa- 
rents is  assi:^iied  as  the  ov/y  reason  of  taking,  the  chil- 
dren into  covenant.  "  Only  i.ie  Lord  had  a  delii^ht 
in  thy  lathers  to  love  them,  and  he  chose  their  seed 
after  thern,  even  you  above  ail  people,  as  it  is  this 
day.'*  The  conduct  of  Moses  upon  n\any  occasions, 
clearly  shows  that  he  loohed  upon  the  children '  of 
Israel  as  a  people  in  covenant  with  God,  even  when 
they  evidenil)  discovoied  the  want  of  a  gracious  state 
of  heart  ;  purticukuly  on  occasion  of  their  rebellion 
at  the  time  of  the  retuin  oi  the  spies.  Deut  is:.  25 
— 27.  "  Thus  i  feil  down  belore  the  Lord  forty  days 
and  forty  nights,  as  1  lell  down  at  the  j.st  ;  because 
the  Lord  ivad  said  he  would  destroy  you.  1  prayed 
therefore  unlo  the  Lord,  and  said,  O  I^ord  God,  de- 
sti'oy  not  thy  people,  and  thine  inheritance,  whic- 
thou  hast  redeemed  through  ihy  gieatness,  which 
tliou  hast  brougjt  forth  out  of  Egypt  with  a  mighty 
hti^id.  Heaien)ber  thy  servants,  Abraliam,  Lsadc, 
and  Jacob."  And  ver-e  29.  "  Yet  they  are  thy  peo- 
ple, and  thiae  inlieviiance.*'  It  is  here  evident  tliat 
M(jses  lays  the  stress  of  his  a'^gunient  for  them,  upon 
their  Deing  the  covenant  peopie  of  God  ;  and  tiuu  by 
viraie  of  the  covenant  of  Goc:  v.ith  their  fathers. 

Whei'efore,  as  it  is  by  being  baptized  tiiat  our  cov- 
enant relation  to  God  in  the  vi:,ibie  church,  is  enter- 
ed into  or  confirmed,  v.e  are  made  complete  mem- 
bers, and  entitled  to  ail  the  privileges  of  its  com- 
munion ;  yea,  and  laid  under  obligations,  not  only  to 
submit  to  the  government  of  Christ  in  hi**  church  ; 
but  also  to  come  forward  and  take  and  improve  church 
privileges  for  our  spiritual  profiling,  as  fast  as  we 
can  attain  to  the  propciqualifical  ions  for  these  exerci- 
ses :  and  infant  baptism  oeing  thus  evidenay  warranted 


156 

in  the  word  of  God,  It  follows  that  baptized  children  ai* 
to  be  looked  upon  as  members  of  the  church,  and  en- 
titled to  all  the  privileges  of  its  communion,  and 
ought  to  be  acknowledged  and  treated  accordingly. 

Having  exhibited  abundant  evidence  of  the  divine 
right  of  infant  baptism  ;  the  same  arguments  equally 
prove  their  right  to  the  other  ordinance,  or  seal  of  the 
covenant,  the  Lord's  supper  :  and  it  appears  as  evi- 
dently, to  be  the  duty  of  parents  to  dedicate,  and  pre- 
sent their  children  to  God,  for  his  blessing,  at  the 
Lord's  table,  as  in  baptism.  Baptised  children,  when 
they  are  grovvn  to  be  capable  to  eat  and  drink  with 
decency,  ought  to  be  brought  to  the  table  of  the 
Lord,  to  eat  of  that  bread,  and  drink  of  that  cup. 

In  the  institution  of  the  passover  their  whole  fami- 
lies were  to  partake  of  it.  And  after  the  children  of 
Israel  were  settled  in  the  land  of  Can'ian,  and  thtv 
were  required  to  go  up  to  Jei-usalem  to  keep  the 
feast,  their  children,  especially  the  iriales,  were  to  go 
with  them.  Indeed,  such  as  lived  remote,  could  not 
bring  all  their  cniidren,  while  they  were  small.  Our 
Savior  went  up  with  Joseph  and  Mary,  when  he  ivaa 
twelve  years  old  ;  Nvhich  probably  was  near  about  the 
common  age  at  which  such  as  lived  at  a  distance, 
brought  their  children  to  that  ordinance.  But  in  the 
first  institution  of  it  in  ligypt,  it  is  plctinly  represent- 
ed as  a  family  meal,  in  which  their  children  did  par- 
take :  which  is  probably  one  reason  why  it  was  re- 
quired of  the  s!.r..ngcr  who  would  keep  the  passuvei", 
tli-At  all  his  males  should  be  first  circu/ncised.  And 
there  is  the  same  reason  why  children  of  christian 
parents  should  partake  of  the  Lord's  supper,  as 
there  was  why  Isi-aelitish  children  should  eat  tlie  pass* 
over. 

It  may  be  here  asked,  what  advantage  it  can  be  to 
little  children,  to  partake  of  that  ordinance  ;  But  wc 
iiiay  as  well  ask,  what  advantage  it  can  be  to  them,  to 
be  baptized  ?  They  may  receive  benefit  from  one  or- 
dinance, as  well  as  from  the  other.  All  the  argu- 
meu:s  which  arc  brought  in  defence  and  support  o| 


1^/ 

infant  baptism,  are  equally  strong  and  conclusive  of 
I  heir  right  to  be  brought  to  the  Lord's  table.  For 
they  are  the  children  of  God,  being  children  of  the 
covenant ;  and  ought  to  eat  of  children's  bread.  When 
the  new  covenant  was  brought  in,  after  the  fall  of 
Adam  ;  his  seed  came  into  the  world  upon  the  same 
footing  on  which  he  then  stood,  and  were  interested 
in  like  privileges.  So  when  God  renewed  his  cove- 
liant  with  Abraham,  God  promised  to  he  his  God, 
and  the  God  of  his  seed  after  him.  The  covenant 
with  all  the  privileges  of  it,  belonged  to  his  seed  as 
much  as  to  himself.  And  when  God  renewed  the 
covenant  with  thechildren  of  Israel  at  Mount  Sinai  the 
-covenant  and  all  the  privileges  of  it,  belonged  to  the 
-whole  congregation,  in  which  their  ciuidren  were  in- 
cluded. And  when  the  covenant  was  again  reJiewed 
on  the  plains  of  Moab,  their  little  ones  are  expressly 
mentioned,  Deut.  xxix.  il.  And  as  their  ciiildren 
VrCi  e  circumcised  at  eight  days  old,  by  vvhich  the  cov- 
enant was  confirmed  upon  them  ;  so  in  all  the  dispen- 
saiions  of  the  covenant  with  them,  their  children  were 
considered  as  included  in  it,  and  entiiiGu  to  the  privi- 
leges of  it.  And  it  is  a  like  case  under  the  gospel  ; 
chiidren  are  still  included  in  the  covenant,  and  inter- 
ested in  the  same  privileges  with  their  parents.  For 
saith  the  apostle,  »'  The  promise  is  to  you,  and  your 
children."  Acts,  ii.  39.  And  as  the  right  of  chil- 
dven  to  one  seal  of  the  covenant,  viz.  baptism,  is  here- 
by made  evident  ;  so  likewise  their  right  to  the  other 
seal,  the  Lord's  supper,  is  equally  manifest. 

God  of  the  riches  of  his  grace,  has  granted  to  his 
covenant  people  the  privilege  of  presenting  them- 
fcclves  before  him,  at  his  table,  for  his  blessing.  And 
as  this  is  one  privilege  of  the  covenant  ;  so  it  Is  the 
privilege  of  ail  such  as  are  included  in  the  cove- 
nant. And  as  children  are  included  with  their  pa- 
rents in  the  covenant  ;  therefore  they  have  a  like 
right  to  be  brought,  and  presented  to  God  in  that  or^ 
dinance. 

Itmav  be  objected,  w^e  have  KiO  examjilc  in  thb 
14 


158 

icripture,  ihat  the  apostles  suffered  little  c'nildren  to  be- 
brought  with  their  parents  to  the  Lord's  table  I 
grant  it.  So  neither  have  we  any  express  example 
of  their  baptizing  the  infant  seed  of  believers  :  and 
yet  the  silence  of  the  scripture  in  that  matter  is  not 
allowed  to  be  a  sufficient  objection  against  infant 
baptism  ;  and  therefore  it  cannot  be  a  sufficient  ob- 
jection against  their  coming  to  the  Lord's  supper. 
The  silence  of  the  scripture  in  this  matter,  is  so  far 
from  being  an  objection  against  the  right  of  infants  to 
both  ordinances,  that  it  is  a  strong  argument  in  favor 
of  it.  The  book  of  Acts  contains  the  history  of  the 
apostles  plantiiig  and  building  up  the  gospel  church 
for  the  space  of  about  thirty  years  ;  in  which  time, 
many  christians  doubtless  had  children  born,  and 
grown  up  ;  and  yet  we  have  no  account  how  these 
children  were  treated  by  the  apostles.  But  as  the 
church  was  composed  only  of  converts  from  among 
the  Jews,  for  a  number  of  years  at  first,  who  still  re* 
tained  a  great  veneration  for  the  law  of  Moses,  under 
which  they  had  been  brought  up  ;  so,  if  their  children 
had  not  been  treated  with  like  privileges  under  the 
gospel,  as  they  had  been  under  the  law,  it  must  have 
given  them  great  uneasiness.  Under  the  law,  they 
had  looked  upon  their  children  as  interested  in  the  same 
privileges  of  the  covenant  as  themselves.  But  if  the 
apostles  had  treated  their  children  as  not  being  inclu- 
ded in  the  covenant,  nor  entitled  to  tiic  privileges  of 
it  :  but  as  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel, 
atrcingers  from  the  covenants  of  promise,  and  as  be- 
hig  in  no  better  state  than  heathen  ;  it  must  have  oc- 
casioned great  uneasiness,  and  brought  on  such  con- 
tention and  disputes,  as  that  we  must  necessarily  have 
had  some  accounts  about  it,  in  sornc  part  of  the  new 
testament.  But  no  hint  of  it  is  to  be  found  there  : 
yet  we  have  frequent  mention  of  and  lefcrcnces  to 
their  disputes  about  circumcision,  which  is  but  a  tri- 
fle in  comparison  with  this  privilege  of  their  infant 
seed.  Thus  it  is  evident  that  the  whole  force  of  the 
argument  taken  from  the  silence   of  the  scripture  in 


1^9 

bliis  malter,  is  m  fuvor  of  the  right  of  infants  to  botli 
Gi'clinaiiccs. 

As  I  have  before  shown,  the  examples,  of  the  apos- 
tles, so  far  as  their  practice  is  recorded,  is  evidently 
in  favor  of  infant  baptism  ;  in  that,  they  baptize^ 
whole  households  :  so  likewise  their  example,  so  far 
us  ii  is  recorded,  is  in  favor  of  bringing  children  to 
the  Lord's  table.  See  Acts.  ii.  46.  "  And  they  con- 
tinued daily  with  one  accord  in  the  temple,  and  break- 
ing bread  from  house  to  house,  did  eat  their  meat 
with  gladness  and  singleness  of  heart."  Here  it  ap- 
pears, that  in  these  primitive  times,  these  first  con- 
verts had  the  Lord's  supper  administered  in .  their 
own  private  houses,  and  that  it  was  connected  with 
their  meals  ;  because  their  breaking  of  bread  is  here 
mentioned  in  connexion  with  eating  their  meat  ivith 
gladness  ;  vrhich  strongly  intimates  that  their  whole 
liouseholds  did  partake  in  it.  How  far  what  is  here 
said  will  warrant  the  practice  of  administering  that 
ordinance  in  private  to  particular  persons,  on  special 
occasions,  I  shall  not  undertake  to  determine.  It  i^ 
pretty  obvious,  that  one  principal  design  of  that  or- 
dinance is  to  be  a  public  expression,  in  the  face  of 
the  world,  of  our  devotedness  to  Christ  ;  and  that 
therefore  it  ought  to  be  administered  in  a  public  man- 
ner. Although  the  apostles  at  first  administered  this 
ordinance  in  private  houses,  to  the  families  of  the 
first  converts  on  the  day  of  pentecost  ;  yet  after  the 
church  was  wrought  up  into  a  more  complete  state, 
it  appears  to  have  been  their  practice  to  assemble  the 
church  together  for  an  attendance  on  the  Lord's  sup- 
per. Hence  we  read.  Acts  xx.  7,  "  Upon  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  when  the  disciples  assembled  to- 
gether to  break  bread."  And  the  church  of  Corinth 
came  together  in  one  place  for  the  celebration  of  this 
ordinance.  L  Cor.  xi.  18.  But  then,  as  the  apos- 
tles at  first  administered  this  ordinance  in  private 
houses,  to  the  families  of  their  first  converts  ;  so 
when  the  church  was  formed  into  a  more  complete 
state,  and  oelievers  came  together  in  the  church  foi* 


160 

an  attendance  on  this  ordinance,  we  have  good  reason 
to  conclude  they  brought  tlieir  children  with  them. 

Although  there  is  no  express  mention  in  the  scrip- 
ture of  bringing  little  children  to  the  table  of  the 
Lord  ;  yet  such  as  have  searched  into  the  writings  of 
ancient  christians,  tell  us,  that  these  ancient  fathers 
of  the  christian  church  testify  with  one  voice,  that  it 
was  the  practice  of  the  church,  for  the  first  three 
hundred  years  after  Christ,  to  bring  their  young  chil- 
dren with  them  to  partake  at  the  table  of  the  Lord. 
And  if  this  testimony  of  the  most  ancient  christian 
writers  may  be  depended  on  that  this  was  a  real  fact^ 
it  must  be  allov/ed  that  it  was  what  the  apostles  prac* 
lised.  And  although  the  opinion  of  those  ancient;, 
writers  in  doctrinal  points  is  not  of  decisive  authori- 
ty ;  yet  I  know  of  no  reason  why  their  testimony,  as 
to  particular  facts,  of  which  they  must  be  supposed 
to  have  the  meansof  knowledge,  may  not  be  depended 
on  ;  especially  since  we  have  so  much  evidence  and 
reason  from  the  sacred  scripture,  to  conclude  that  it 
was  the  case. 

I  knov/  of  but  one  text  in  the  whole  bible  that  con- 
tains any  thing  which  looks  like  an  objection  againsfe 
bringing  cur  children  to  the  table  of  the  Lord  ;  and 
that  is,  1.  Corinth,  xi.  where  the  apostle  is  blaming 
the  Corinthians  for  not  discerning  the  Lord's  body 
in  that  ordinance,  and  directing  them  to  prepare 
themselvesforadue  attendance  upon  of  it  by  self-exam- 
ination. I  grant  that  children  so  soon  as  they  can  eat 
and  drink,  are  not  capable  of  performing  the  duty  of 
self-examination,  nor  of  making  a  full  distinction  be- 
tween that  ordinance  and  common  food  ;  but  this 
contains  no  sufficient  reason  why  we  should  deny 
them  this  privilege  of  the  covenant,  or  exclude  the 
parent  from  publicly  giving  a  practical  expression  of 
his  faith  in  that  promise  of  the  covenant,  that  God 
will  be  his  God,  and  the  God  of  his  seed.  When  a 
parent  offers  his  child  in  baptism,  we  are  to  view  his 
conduct  as  an  expression  of  his  faith  in  that  promise 
of  tie  covenant.     And  it  is  equally  the  parent's  duty 


161 

practically  to  express  and  exercise  his  faith  in  that 
promise,  by  presenting  his  child  to  God,  at  the  Lord's 
table,  for  his  acceptance  and  blessing.  In  coming  to 
the  Lord's  table  we  practically  own  the  covenant : 
but  if  we  own  the  covenant,  we  ous^lit  to  own  it  in  its 
true  extent,  as  it  takes  in  the  seed  with  the  parents  : 
but  by  excluding  our  children,  we  practically  disown 
the  covenant,  especially  in  that  part  of  it  which  ex- 
tends the  promise  to  the  seed.  The  incapacity  of 
children  therefore  for  moral  exercises  in  both  ordin- 
ces  is  entirely  out  qf  the  question  ;  and  the  duty  of 
p.irents  is  left  free,  in  which  they  have  full  scope  for 
exercising  and  practically  expressing  their  faitn  in 
the  promise  of  the  covenant,  as  it  extends  to  their 
seed. 

But  we  are  to  practise  the  duty  of  presenting  our 
children  to  God  for  his  blessing  in  gospel  ordinances, 
not  merely  as  the  duty  or  privilege  of  the  parent  ; 
but  a?  a  privilege  also  of  our  children.  Their  title 
to  one  ordinance  is  as  evident  from  the  word  of  God, 
as  their  title  to  the  other.  Here,  I  might  go  over 
again  with  all  the  texts  and  arguments  which  have 
been  produced  in  dtfence  of  infant  baptism,  and  show 
tb.at  they  equally  prove  their  right  to  the  other  seal 
of  the  covenant.  The  general  reason  by  which  in- 
fant baptism  is  established,  is  God's  extending  his 
covenant  and  promise  to  the  seed  ;  which  equally 
conftrnis  their  right  to  one  seal,  as  well  as  to  the  oth- 
er. And  they  are  as  incapable  of  those  moral  exer- 
cises v/liich  are  agreeable  with  the  design  of  baptism, 
as  they  are  of  those  which  are  agreeable  with  the  de- 
sign of  the  Lord's  supper.  ^Vhen  we  baptize  a  per- 
son grown  to  the  years  of  understanding,  we  require 
hihi,  (as  Philip  did  the  Eunuch)  to  maktj  a  profession 
•of  hii  faith  in  Christ ;  but  we  baptize  children  with- 
out wailing  for  such  a  profession  from  them.  And 
so,  grown  people  must  prepare  themselves  for  a  due, 
attendance  upon  the  Lord's  supper  oy  self-exavnina- 
lion  ;  the  dii'ection  for  this  preparatory  exercise  is 
given  to  grown  people  :    but  th.it  is  no  reason   why 

14* 


16^ 

children  should  be  kept  back  till  they  become  capa- 
ble of  it,  any  more  than  why  they  ought  to  be  kept 
back  from  baptism  till  they  are  capable  of  the  moral 
exercises  which  are  agreeable  to  the  design  of  that 
ordinance.  Although  little  children  cannot  make 
any  actual  improvement  of  gospel  ordinances,  yet 
they  may  receive  some  benefit  by  them.  "  They 
brought  little  children  to  Christ,  and  he  took  them 
up  in  his  arms,  laid  his  hands  upon  them,  and  bles- 
sed them."  And  may  not  we  also  hope  he  will  re- 
ceive and  bless  them,  when  we  bring  them  to  him  in 
his  own  appointed  way  ?  To  be  dedicated  to  God, 
and  to  have  his  covenant  confirmed  upon  us,  and  es- 
tablished with  us,  is  in  itself  a  great  privilege,  which 
is  one  advantapje  of  infant  baptism  ;  and  the  same  is 
also  done  for  them,  in  bringing  them  to  the  Lord's 
table.  We  ought  not  therefore  to  keep  off  children 
from  gospel  ordinances  because  they  cannot,  in  that 
stage  of  life,  make  all  the  improvement  and  reap  all 
the  advantages  from  them  which  adult  people  can. 
If  their  being  brought  to  gospel  ordinances  can  be 
in  any  respect  an  advantage  to  them,  it  is  a  good  rea- 
son why  it  should  be  done  for  them.  And  I  think  it 
is  evident  from  v/hat  has  been  said,  that  it  is  of  great 
advantage,  both  to  the  parent,  and  to  the  children  ; 
to  the  parent,  as  it  affords  proper  scope  for  the  prac- 
tical exercise  of  faith  in  the  promise  of  the  covenant, 
as  it  extends  to  the  seed,  ^  well  as  the  parent  ;  and 
to  the  children,  as  there  is  great  reason  to  hope, 
Christ  will  receive,  own  and  bless  them.  The  inca- 
pacity of  children  therefore  for  exercising  self-ex- 
amination, or  discerning  the  Lord's  body  in  that  or- 
dinance, is  an  objection  of  no  weight.  While  chil- 
dren are  too  young  for  such  moral  exercises  as  are 
agreeable  to  the  design  of  the  ordinance,  we  are  to 
view  their  being  brought  to  it,  as  a  practical  exer- 
cise and  expression  of  the  faith  of  the  parent,  in  the 
promise  of  the  covenant  :  but  when  children  are 
grown  to  sufficient  maturity,  the  duties  of  self-exam- 
ination, and  of  discerninij  the  Lord*s  body,  are  to  be 
inculcated  upon  them. 


163 

Children  will,  in  the  early  part  ot  life,  take  notice, 
of  a  difference  between  the  Lord's  supper  and  a  com- 
mon meal.  They  will  soon  perceive  that  it  is  made 
use  of  for  a  religious  purpose  ;  which  will  put  them 
upon  askinc^  after  the  meaning  of  it,  and  lay  open 
their  attention  to  receive  such  religious  instruction  as  it 
is  the  duty  of  parents  to  inculcate  upon  them  on  such 
an  occasion.  Isa.  xxviii.  9,  10.  *'  Whom  shall  he 
tteach  knowledge  ?  and  whom  shall  he  make  to  un- 
derstand doctrine  ?  Them  that  are  weaned  from  the 
milk,  and  drawn  from  the  breast.  For  precept  must 
be  upon  precept,  precept  upon  precept  ;  line  upon 
line,  line  upon  line  ;  here  a  little,  and  there  a  little." 
And  hence  it  is  that  Mo^es  gave  that  command  to 
the  children  of  Israel,  Deut,  vi.  20.  *'  And  when  thy 
son  asketh  thee  in  time  to  come,  saying,  What  mean 
the  testimonies,  and  the  statutes,  and  the  judgments 
which  the  Lord  our  God  hath  commanded  you  ? 
Then  thou  shalt  say  unto  thy  son,  we  were  Pharoah*s 
bond-men,"  Sec.  In  like  manner  our  children,  by 
being  brought  to  the  Lord*s  table,  would  be  put  upon 
inquiring  into  the  meaning  of  it;  which  would  give 
us  a  fair  opportunity  of  instilling  into  tlieir  young  and 
lender  minds,  the  knowledge  ot  divine  truths,  which, 
through  the  blessing  of  God;  would  have  a  saving  in- 
fluence on  their  hearts. 

But  with  respect  to  this  matter,  I  apprehend  it  is 
manifest  from  what  has  been  offered,  that  God  has 
not  left  it  to  us  to  determine  tliis  case  by  our  ov/n  rea- 
son or  prudence  ;  but  hath  determined  it  for  us,  in 
that  the  right  of  little  children  is  so  plainly  deter- 
mined, with  respect  to  both  ordinances,  and  all  the 
privileges  of  the  visible  covenant  people  of  God. 

Accordingly  the  apostle  has  taught  us  to  consider 
our  children  as  being  in  this  sense  holy.  I.  Cor.  vii. 
14.  "  Else  were  your  children  unclean  ;  but  novv  are 
they  holy."  And  the  command  enjoined  on  parents 
"  To  train  up  their  children  in  the  nurture  and  ad- 
monition of  the  Lord,"  Lph.  vi.  4,  plainly  requires 
ws  to  bring  them  up  according  to  thei-.-  interest  in 


164 

the  covenant,  and  their  title  to  the  seals  and  piivils- 
g-es  of  it.  And  inasmuch  as  every  argument  whicli 
can  be  brought  in  defence  and  support  of  infant  bap- 
tism, as  fully  proves  the  duty  cf  bringing  th.eni 
to  the  Lord's  table  ;  it  manifestly  appears  to  be  an 
absurdity  and  inconsistency  to  plead  for  and  practise 
the  one,  and  not  the  otlicr.  That  admonition  there- 
fore of  Christ,  Mat.  xviii.  6,  challengeth  cur  special 
attention  :  *'  \Vhoso  sh..ll  offend  one  of  these  little 
ones,  luhich  believe  in  me^  it  wei'e  better  for  him  that 
a  millstone  weie  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  that  he 
were  drowned  in  the  depth  of  the  sea,'*  which  seems 
to  be  spoken  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  as  a  warning 
to  those  who,  in  alter  agesj  should  cut  off  the  infant 
seed  of  the  church  from  the  seals  and  privileges  of 
the  covenant  ;  which  seems  to  have  been  the  effect 
of  those  errors  thateaily  sprung  up  in  the  church, 
which  finally  terminated  in  the  doctrine  of  transub- 
stanliation  ;  from  which  we  are  not  lully  purged  to 
tills  day. 

Some  will  be  ready  to  find  fault  that  I  should  open 
the  doors  of  the  church  so  wide  as  to  let  in  all  bapti- 
zed persons  to  its  comnuunon.  To  this  1  answer: 
It  does  not  belong  to  us  to  open,  or  to  shut.  We 
are  none  of  Chrn^t's  counsellors.  It  is  our  business 
to  follow  his  du'cciions,  and  trust  him  with  the  conse- 
quences, indeed,  1  grant  ihat  many  baptized  peo- 
ple, by  reason  of  the  manner  in  which  they  have  been 
educated,  treated  and  nctlected  by  the  church,  are 
far  from  being  meet  subjects  of  its  communion.  But 
this  might  serve  to  convince  us  of  the  error  of  our 
past  conduct*  and  should  admonish  us  of  the  necessi- 
ty of  a  refoi-mation,  and  not  to  persist  in  such  depar- 
tures from  divine  rules  in  our  treatment  of  the  rising 
generation,  as  have  been  productive  of  such  evil  ef- 
fects. 

It  is  manifest  there  is  but  little  of  the  divine  pre- 
sence with  these  churches,  but  littlc  effect  of  the  gos- 
pel audits  institutions  on  the  hearts  of  people  ;  which 
is  not  without  a  reason.    The  primitive  church,  while 


165 

she  retained  her  simplicity  and  apostolic  purity,  was. 
greatly  enlarged  among  the  heathen  nations.  Bift 
when  she  became  corrupt,  and  innovations  and  hu- 
man inventions  were  brought  in,  her  enlargement  has 
ceased  ;  and  her  bounds,  for  these- many  hundreds 
of  years,  have  been  rather  contracted  thuii  extended  ; 
which  must  be  because  of  the  withdrawment  of  the 
divine  presence,  on  account  of  some  accursed  thing 
that  is  found  with  her.  As  to  the  churches  in  this 
land,  1  trust  they  are  built  upon  the  true  foundation, 
and  have  some  golcl^  silver^  firecicus  stones^  in  the 
building  ;  but  I  apprehend  there  is  also  ivood^  hay^ 
stubble.^  which  must  and  will  be  burnt  up.  If  there 
is  any  truth  in  what  I  have  said  of  the  visible  church, 
of  membership  in  it,  and  of  the  privileges  of  it ;  we 
greatly  need  a  reformation,  even  in  the  outward  and 
visible  form  of  the  church.  The  apostles,  according 
to  the  command  of  Christ,  made  disciples  by  bapti- 
zing them,  which  was  the  only  way  they  received 
people  into  the  church  ;  but  we  do  not  treat  baptism 
as  that  which  constitutes  discipleship,  or  makes  peo- 
ple members  of  the  church.  Instead  of  this  we  lift 
lip  our  tool  upon  them,  Ave  receive  members  into  the- 
church  by  personal  professions,  and  verbal  covenant- 
ing of  our  own  devising  ;  in  which  one  useth  one 
form,  and  another  another.  And  why  not  ?  For  eve- 
ry one  has  an  equal  right  to  make  his  own  forms.  And 
when  we  undertake  to  make  members  of  the  church 
of  our  own  manufacture,  ix.  is  to  be  expected  that  eve- 
ry one,  while  he  has  them  in  hand,  will  fashion  them 
to  his  own  liking.  But  the  apostle  has  given  us  a 
very  seasonable  caution,  I.  Cor.  iii.  10,  11.  "  Accor- 
ding to  the  grace  of  God  which  is  given  unto  me,  as 
a  wise  master  builder  I  have  laid  the  foundation,  and 
another  i)uildeth  thereon.  But  let  every  man  take 
heed  how  he  buildeth  thereupon.  For  other  founda- 
tion can  no  man  lay,  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ"  The  charge  which  God  gave  to  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  Exod.  xx.  25,  doubtless  had  a  mystical 
meaning  in  it :  "  And  if  thou  wilt  make  me  an  altar 


166 

of  Stone,  thou  shalt  not  make  it  of  hewn  stone  :  for 
if  thou  lift  up  thy  tool  upon  it,  thou  hast  polluted  it." 
And  the  particular  notice  which  is  taken  of  the  build- 
ing of  Solomon's  temple,  I.  Kings,  vi.  7,  that  there 
was  neither  hammer,  nor  ax,  nor  any  tool  of  iron 
heard  in  the  house,  while  it  was  building,  seems  to 
be  a  mere  trivial  circumstance,  otherwise  than  as  it 
contains  a  veiy  instructive  moral  to  the  builders  of 
the  gospel  church. 

Although  there  is  no  express  mention  of  the  apos- 
tles treating  the  infant  seed  of  the  believers  as  disci- 
ples, or  members  of  the  church  ;  yet  they  are  said  to 
be  disciples,  Acts,  xv.  10.  and  there  are  many  things 
said  which  strongly  imply  such  a  treatment.  The 
charge  given  to  parents  to  bring  up  their  children  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  as  I  have 
"  shov/n,  must  be  understood  in  this  sense.  The  com- 
mand that  children  should  obey  their  parents  in  the 
Lord.  Eph.  vi.  1.  plainly  implies  that  the  apostle 
considered  little  children  as  disciples,  and  subjects  of 
Christ's  kingdom.  iVnd  the  apostle  John,  exp,  essly 
and  repeatedly  directs  his  discourse  to  old  men,  to 
young  men,  and  to  little  children  ;  L  John,  ii.  12. 
which  plainly  shows  that  he  viewed  them  in  the  same 
light.  All  which  well  agrees  with  that  express  com- 
mand of  our  Lord  given  after  his  resuirection  to  Pe- 
ter, and  through  him,  to  all  the  apostles,  to  feed  his 
Iambs  as  well  as  his  sheep,  John,  xxi.  15.  Ought 
not  then,  these  Irmibs  of  Christ's  flock,  to  be  fed  with 
children's  breud,  as  well  as  the  sincere  milk  of  the 
word  ?  And  that  kind  and  affectionate  treatment 
with  which  our  Lord  used  little  children,  when  they 
were  brought  to  him  ;  together  with  that  reproof  he 
gave  to  his  disciples,  when  they  shewed  a  disposition 
to  have  little  children  used  in  like  manner  as  we  have 
treated  the  children  of  the  church  ;  might  well  cause 
us  to  tremble,  and  think  seriously  of  a  reformation. 
Mark,  x.  13,  14,  15,  16.  "  And  they  brought  young 
children  to  him,  that  he  should  touch  them  ;  and  his 
disciples  rebuked  those  that  brought  them.      But 


167 

when  Jesus  saw  it,  lie  v.a.j  Jinich  disjilcased^  and  said 
iinio  them,  suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me, 
and  forbid  them  not :  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
God.  Veriiy,  I  say  unto  you,  whosoever  shall  not  re- 
ceive the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall 
not  enter  therein.  And  he  took  them  up  in  his  at  ms, 
put  his  hands  upon  theni  and  blessed  them."  Herei 
Christ  himself  declares  infant  children  are  of,  or  do 
belong  to  his  kingdom.  And  have  we  not  evident 
reason  to  conclude  that  he  is  niuch  displeased  with 
us,  for  denying;  them  the  priviie:<es  of  his  kingdom  ? 
It  is  an  ackno\vledged  principle,  that  believers  are  en- 
titled to  all  church  privileges.  But  our  Lord  declares 
that  the  mfant  seed  of  his  people  are  believers.  Fore- 
cited  Matt.xviii  6.  "  \\  hoso  shall  offend  one  of  these 
little  ones  which  believe  in  me."  \Ve  cannot  here  un- 
derstand our  Lord,  speaking  of  tliese  little  ones  as  be- 
lievers, on  account  of  the  internal  exercises  of  faith 
in  the  heart  ;  for  that  is  a  matter  about  which  we  are 
not  capable  of  judging  ;  but  it  is  here  implied,  that 
we  arc  capable  of  distinguishing  among  little  ones, 
^vhich  are  believers,  and  which  not  :  which  rule  of 
judging  can  be  no  other  than  the  covenant  of  God 
with  his  people  and  their  seed.  Christ  has  therefore 
here  expressly  determined  the  case,  that  it  would  bo 
better  for  us  that  a  mill-stonc  were  hanged  about  our 
neck,  and  that  we  were  drowned  in  the  depth  of  the 
sea,  than  to  treat  our  children  as  we  have  done,  in 
excluding  them  from  the  pri\  ilcges  of  the  visible 
church.  I  ask  no  p.irdon  for  tins  warmth  of  expres- 
sion ;  for  it  is  no  niore  than  is  iitiing,  while  I  am 
pleading  the  cause  of  those  little  innocents,  those 
young  believers,  those  injured  Iambs  of  Christ's  flock 
.who  cannot  speak  for  themselves.  These  lambs  arc 
included  in,  and  are  parts  of  the  flock,  as  well  as  the 
sheep  ;  they  belong  to  the  same  o.vncr,  should  feed  in 
the  same  pasture,  and  lie  down  in  the  same  fold  :  ai'id 
be  that  will  separate  them,  acts  more  like  aMoIf  than 
a  shepherd  ;  and  is  condemned  of  himself  for  practi- 
sing infant  baptism.       For  every  argument  which 


168 

can  be  brought  against  bringing-  ciiikiren  to  the 
Lord's  supper  equally  militates  against  infant  bap- 
tism. 

Some  may  object  to  my  applying  Matt  xviii.  6,  to 
little  children,  because  it  was  the  intention  of  our 
Lord  to  teach  humility  to  his  disciples  by  v.hat  is 
here  said.  And  I  grant  that  in  what  is  said  concern- 
ing offending,  our  Lord  has  a  reference  to  little  ones 
in  a  moral  sense  ;  but  not  to  the  exclusion  of  little 
ones  in  a  literal  sense.  For  unless  whut  is  here  said 
is  applicable  to  little  children,  the  argument  is  not 
conclusive  respecting  ourtreatment  of  such  as  are  lit- 
tle ones  in  a  mural  sense.  For  the  tenor  of  cur  Lord's 
argument  iiere,  is  from  the  less  to  the  greater. 

Buptisni  which  gives  a  child  a  right  to  the  privile- 
ges of  the  church,  subjects  hiui  also  to  the  discipline 
of  it,  accoifUng  to  his  age  and  capacity.  And  hence  it 
;^ppears,  that  although  a  person  has  been  baptized  in 
Lib  ijifancy,  and  was  thereby  made  a  member  of  the 
fchurch,  and  entitled  to  ail  the  privileges  of  it  ;  yet, 
])y  his  ov.n  misconduct,  may  have  forfeited  his  right? 
and  it  may  be  the  duty  of  the  church  to  deny  him  ilic 
enjoyment  of  theai,  till  he  shall  give  gospel  satisfac- 
lion. 

To  ccnfinc  the  discipline  of  the  church  to  such 
i-mong  us  as  come  to  the  Lord's  supper,  is  attended 
with  many  very  hurtful  consequences.  It  makes 
])eople  think  light  of  baptism,  and  sii.:^ht  the  sacred 
bonds  of  duty  sealed  upon  tl.em  in  that  ordinance. 
Hence  also  they  take  the  iibtity  to  live  more  loose 
and  careless  lives.  And  v.'hen  they  fall  into  scanda- 
lous practices,  it  deprives  tlicni  of  that  ordinance  of 
Chiist  which  was  insiituted  to  guard  tliern  from  dn, 
to  keep  them  upon  their  watch  against  it,  and  to  re- 
cover them  to  repentance  when  they  have  fallen. 
And  if  the  church  exercised  due  discipline  over  their 
baptized  seed,  by  giving  tiicnr  proper  instruction, 
taking  care  of  their  education,  and  giving  them  suitan 
bie  reproof  when  tlicy  go  astray  ;  and  when  they  ar- 
rive to  a  proper  age,  to  Lring  them  to  the  Lord's  sup- 


1(T9 

per  ;  tn  this  way,  biinj^ing  the  matter  to  a  point  with 
them,  either  to  comply  with  the  rule  of  the  gospel 
or  to  be  censured  as  covenant  breakers,  and  cast  out 
of  the  church  ;  it  would  have  a  great  influence  upon 
them,  and  an  happy  tendency  to  prevent  sin,  and 
quicken  them  to  duty.  In  this  way,  the  distinction 
between  ihe /u-ecioits  and  the  vile^  would  be  kept  up 
by  the  institution  of  Christ ;  and  the  profane  and  har- 
dened sinner  be  put  out  of  countenance.  But  whilst 
there  aie  such  great  numbers  of  people,  who  have 
been  baptized  in  their  infancy,  of  good  conversation, 
and  reputable  characters,  that  keep  back  from  tlie 
communion  of  the  church,  and  are  not  looked  upon 
as  members  ;  the  vicious  and  profane  who  ought  to 
be  debarred  from  chur-ch  privileges  for  their  wicked 
lives,  find  themselves  in  good  company  ;  and  this 
keeps  them  in  countenance,  and  hardens  them  in  in- 
iquity. Whereas  if  none  kept  back  from  the  com- 
munion of  the  church  but  such  as  were  debarred  for 
their  bad  conduct ;  the  wicked  and  profane  would  see 
themselves  evideiuly  pointed  out  to  deserved  shame 
and  contempt  for  their  iniquities  ;  and  would  make 
them  see  more  evidently,  the  necessity  of  repentance 
and  a  religious  life.  But  when  they  see  many  of  as 
good  public  character  as  the  communicants,  who  en- 
joy no  better  privileges  in  the  church  than  themseives  ; 
it  greatly  tends  to  keep  up  their  courage,  and  to 
strenghen  tliem  in  their  iniquity. 

As  it  is  baptism  that  seals  a  person  a  member  of 
the  church,  entitles  him  to  its  privileges,  and  subjects 
him  to  its  jurisdiction  ;  I  can  find  no  rule  in  the  gos- 
pel, for  enjoining  any  tliint]^  further,  (such  as  verbal 
covenanting,  or  any  thing  of  that  nature)  in  order  to 
.his  enjoyment  of  the  privileges  of  church  fellowship. 
It  is  true,  a  person  must  be  qualified  for,  as  well  as 
entitled  to  these  privileges  ;  but  one  who  is  al- 
rpady  a  member  of  the  church,  is  entitled  to  a  differ- 
ent treatment,  from  one  that  is  not,  but  now  comes  to 
ask  lor  admission  into  it.  One  who  has  not  been  bap- 
tized, but  now  comes  to  ask  for  admission  intg  tlie 
15 


170 

timrch,  ought  to  exhibit  positive  evidence  of  his  be* 
ing  duly  qualified  :  but  when  one  ^vho  is  already  a 
member,  by  having;  been  baptized  in  his  infancy, 
comes  to  seek  privileges  ;  that  church  which  will 
deny  him,  ought  to  be  able  to  produce  positive  evi- 
dence that  he  has  forfeited  his  right  to  these  privile- 
ges, or  is  disqualified  for  the  enjoyment  of  them .  A 
little  consideration  will  show,  there  is  a  Vv'ide  differ- 
ence in  these  two  cases,  and  the  burden  of  proof  lies 
upon  difterent  parties. 

Discipline  which  ought  carefully  to  be  kept  up  in 
the  church,  is  attended  with  peculiar  dhTiculty.  We 
cannot  easily  determine  what  sins  should  lay  a  person 
open  to  a  censure  in  the  church.  For  although  some 
sins  are  more  heinous  in  the  sight  of  God  that  others  ; 
yet  no  sin  can,  in  a  proper  sense,  be  called  small ;  yet 
it  is  easy  to  see  the  impropriety  of  treating  every  im- 
perfection, as  a  matter  of  church  censure.  PerhapSv 
the  same  sin  may,  at  one  time,  and  under  some  cir- 
cumstances, be  treated  as  a  censurable  evil,  which  5t 
another  time,  and  under  other  circumstances,  may 
properly  be  winked  at,  and  passed  over  in  silence. 
For  instance,  polygamy  was  practised  by  the  best  of 
men  in  former  ages  ;  such  as  Abraham  and  David  ; 
yet  we  find  no  censure  passed  upon  them  for  it.  And 
if  we  look  into  the  practice  of  the  apostles  we  shall 
find  it  a  general  rule  of  their  conduct,  not  to  make 
any  alteration  in  the  civil  state  or  circumstances  of 
their  converts.  And  in  their  receiving  people  into 
the  church,  they  seem  to  have  winked  at  this  prac- 
tice of  polygamy,  which  was  common  among  the  hea- 
then, and  to  have  passed  over  it  in  silence,  in  their  ad- 
mission of  such.  Indeed,  they  plainly  discovered 
their  disapprobation  of  this  practice  of  having  more 
wives  than  one,  at  the  same  time  ;  in  that  they  ex- 
cluded such  from  any  promotion  in  the  church,  they 
were  not  to  be  made  bishops  or  deacons.  But  these 
prohibitions  plainly  imply  that  some  such  were 
ad  itted  to  common  privileges  of  church  members  : 
otherwise  it  would   have  been   impertinent  to   have 


171 

umle  exceptions  to  their  sustaining  offices  in  the 
church. 

Objection.  The  apostle  also  directs  that  such 
should  be  chosen  bishops  and  deacons,  who  were  not 
given  to  much  wine,  Sec.  Does  it  therefore  follow 
that  private  members  might  be  drunkards,  and  not 
be  censured  ? 

Ahsiver.  Doubtless  many  were  received  into  the 
church  by  the  apostles,  who,  in  their  unconverted 
state,  had  contracted  a  strong  habit  of  drinking,  and  of 
other  vices  ;  consequently  would  be  more  liable  to 
fall  into  this  sin,  than  those  who  had  not  contracted 
such  customs.  Bishops  and  deacons  were  not  to  be 
chosen,  of  such  as  had  these  blemishes.  There  are 
degrees  in  most  other  vices  ;  b»it  there  can  be  none 
in  polygamy  ;  it  therefore  plainly  follows,  that  such 
vve.  e  received  by  the  apostles,  without  being  obliged 
to  put  away  any  of  their  wives  which  they  had  marri- 
ed before  their  conversion. 

But  notwithstanding  this  connivance  of  the  apostles^ 
we  shall  doubtless  agree  at  this  day,  to  treat  polygamy 
us  an  offence  worthy  ofchurcii  censure.  And  like 
reasons  may  be  given  why  some  other  sins  may  be 
connived  at  under  some  circumstances,  and  not  under 
others.  The  power  of  discipline  which  Christ  has 
given  to  the  church,  is  designed,  not  for  destruction  ; 
but  for  edification.  There  may  be  cases,  in  which  it 
may  be  more  for  edification  to  connive  at  certain  of- 
fences, tiian  rigidly  to  treat  them  as  censurable  evils. 
And  Iiere  vjiadom  h  JirofUablc  to  direct.  Moses,  by 
divine  direction,  suffered  the  children  of  Israel  to 
give  their  wives  a  biii  of  divorcement,  and  to  put 
them  away  ;  although  that  practice  was,  in  itself, 
far  from  being  justifiable. 

J3ut  there  is  one  case  in  particular,  in  which  we  are 
far  from  being  agreed  ;  and  that  is,  whether  unregcn- 
eracy  is  to  i)e  treated  by  the  church,  as  a  censurable 
evil.  Not  only  Anahajitists^  but  many  other  church- 
es among  us,  look  upon  a  person's  being  in  his  natur- 
al, unregenerate  stnte,  as  a  sufficient  reason  why  he 


172 

should  be  kept  off  from  comniunion  in  the  visibte 
ehurch,  although  he  has  been  m^de  a  member  of  it 
by  baptism. 

But  how  criminal  soever  it  may  be,  for  a  person  to 
continue  in  an  unre generate  state  ;  yet  it  appears  to 
me,  to  be  expressly  excepted  by  Jesus  Christ,  as 
what  should  not  be  deemed  censurable  by  the  church. 
In  the  parable  of  the  Tares-,  the  servants  were  for 
going  and  gatheriiig  them  out  :  but  our  Lord  says, 
•'  No,  let  both  grow  together  till  the  harvest  ;  lest 
while  ye  gather  up  the  tares,  ye  root  up  the  wheat 
also."  Here  observe  :  The  servants  plainly  saw 
cares  among  the  wheat,  and  knew  them  to  be  tares  y 
yet  the  Lord  suffered  them  not  to  gather  them  put. 
Separating  them  from  the  wheat  is  a  work  Christ  has 
reserved  to  himself,  as  the  business  of  the  day  of 
judgment.  Unregeneracy  is  a  matter  for  which  we 
are  not  to  be  dealt  with  by  fellow-servants.  Had  it 
been  the  will  of  Christ  that  unregeneracy  should  be 
treated  by  the  chmxh  as  a  censurable  evil,  he  would 
have  given  some  rule  to  judge  by,  and  determine 
who  were  regenerate,  and  who  not  ;  but  no  such 
rule  is  given.  Indeed,  in  some  instances  the  case  is 
easily  discerned.  The  openly  loose  and  unsavory 
lives  of  some,  clearly  show  the  unrenewedncss  of 
their  hearts.  Thus  the  servants  plainly  saw  tares 
among  the  wheat.  But  although  we  may  easily  dis- 
tinguish in  some  instances,  yet  there  are  many  in 
which  we  cannot.  This  is  plainly  implied  in  the 
reason  the  Lord  gives  why  the  servants  should  not 
gather  up  the  tares,  "  Lest  they  should  root  up  the 
wheat  also."  Although  they  might  discern  in  some 
cases  which  v/ere  wheat,  and  which  were  not  ;  yet 
there  were  many  in  which  they  could  not.  And  even 
where  they  could  distinguish  the  tares,  they  were  to 
let  them  stand.  Therefore  it  may  be  properly  said, 
Christ  has  given  us  no  rule  whereby  to  judge  of  oth- 
ers, whether  they  are  regenerate  or  not ;  but  has  let 
us  know  we  have  no  business  with  it.  For  that  can- 
Bot  be  properly  called  a  rule,  which  will  not  enable 


173 

us  to  make  up  asafe  judg-ment  in  one  half,  nor  in  one 
quarter  of  the  cases  to  which  we  shall  have  occasion 
to  apply  it.  And  seeing  that  even  when  we  know 
them  to  be  tares,  we  are  not  to  meddle  with  them,  it 
would  be  useless  to  have  given  us  a  rule  of  judgment 
in  the  case. 

The  Lord  o;ave  a  special  charg-e  to  the  children  of 
Israel  to  be  kind  to  strangers,  because  they  knew  the 
heart  of  strangers  ;  for  they  had  been  strangers 
themselvco  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  for  the  same 
reason,  the  church  ought  to  have  a  tender  regard  to 
unrc -generate  sinners,  because  that  is  the  common 
state  <;i  all  men  by  nature. 

Unregeneracy  cannot  be  a  reason  why  Chvist  should 
not  undertake  to  perform  the  office  of  a  Mediator  be- 
tween God  and  us,  for  then  he  must  have  nothing  lu 
do  with  any  of  mankind.  But  church  privileges  and 
gospel  ordinances  belong  to  Chri.it's  mediation  ;  by 
them  it  is,  that  he  carries  oil  a  treaty  of  peace  with 
God  among  mankind.  To  debar  therefoio  a  person 
from  church  privileges,  is  to  cut  him  off  from  the 
benefit  of  Christ's  mediation.  And  if  a  sinner  is  de- 
nied the  benefit  of  a  Mediator,  by  what  means  shall 
he  ever  become  regenerate  ?  Such  therefore  as  ex- 
clude people  from  church  privileges  because  they 
are  unregenerate,  act  in  direct  opposition  to  the  evi- 
dent purpose  for  which  the  Redeemer's  kingdom 
was  set  up  in  the  world,  and  the  important  purposes 
for  which  he  came  clothed  with  the  characler,  and  is 
performing  the  work  of  a  Mediator  between  God  and 
the  sinful  children  of  men  ;  and  totally  subvert  the 
iioctrine  of  iniant  baptism. 

Would  we  decide  this  dispute  by  facts,  plain  di- 
.vine  facts,  as  they  stand  upon  record  in  liie  word  of 
God  ;  we  shall  see  that  unregeneracy  never  was  ol;- 
jected  to  any  one.  nor  admitted  as  an  objection  agaiiist 
nis  enjoyment  of  any  of  the  privileges  of  the  visible 
church.  There  is  no  room  Too  so  much  as  a  suppo- 
sition that  Alani  was  regenerated  after  the  f.dl,  be- 
fore God  brou^^ht  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  the 
15* 


174 

visible  church  began  with  him.  When'  God  renew- 
ed the  covenant  with  Abraham,  and  commanded  him 
to  confirm  the  covenant  with  his  seed  after  him,  as 
the  visible  church,  and  included  in  the  number  of  his 
covenant  people,  at  eight  days  old  ;  it  cannot  be  sup- 
posed that  it  was  expected  they  would  all  be  regene- 
rated at  that  age.  So  likewise  when  the  children  of 
Israel  were  led  to  renew  covenant  with  God,  from 
time  to  time  ;  it  was  at  the  same  time  evident,  that 
they  were,  as  to  the  greater  part  of  them,  in  an  unre- 
newed state.  And  God  often  acknowledged  his  cov- 
enant relation  to  them,  when,  at  the  same  time,  their 
general  character  was  far  from  that  of  real  saints. 

Some  have  evaded  the  evidence  which  these  in- 
stances afford  in  the  case,  by  saying,  the  children  of 
Israel,  when  they  renev/ed  covenant,  professed  a  cor- 
dial compliance  with  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  and 
that  God,  in  admitting  them  to  covenant  privileges, 
did  not  act  in  the  character  of  the  searcher  of  hearts  ; 
but  accommodating  himself  to  the  ways  of  men,  trust- 
ed to  their  profession,  and,  after  the  manner  of  men, 
allowed  them  to  come  into  covenant  upon  the  charit- 
able presumption  that  they  were  sincere. 

Is  this  then  really  the  case,  that  a  man,  when  he 
visibly  enters  into  covenant  with  God,  in  joining  to 
the  church,  is  to  consider  and  regard  the  divine  Be» 
ing  with  whom  he  has  to  do  in  the  solemn  macter  of 
covenanting,  not  as  the  searcher  of  hearts  ;  but  as  a 
God  that  trusts  to,  and  will  accept  of  an  outside  pro- 
fession ?  This  representation  of  the  matter  provides, 
a  very  good,  and  i  think  a  very  justifiable  pretence 
for  the  hypocritical  professor.  For  if,  in  the  solemn 
matter  of  covenanting,  we  are  not  to  regard  that  God 
with  whom  we  covenant,  as  the  searcher  of  heuits  ; 
it  will  be  a  matter  ot  little  or  no  consequence  whether 
we  act  from  the  heart,  or  not.  Nor  can  I  see  how 
?m  hypocritical  heart,  covered  over  with  a  splendid 
outward  profession,  can  justly  be  deemed  matter  of 
condemnation  in  the  duy  of  judgment.  For  if  God 
lays  aside  the   character  of  the  searcher  of  hearts 


viien  he  covenrjits  with  usj  but  assumes  it  when  he 
sits  in  judgment  upon  us  ;  shall  we  not  have  good 
reason  to  complain,  that  he  hath  put  the  change  v.fmn 
us  ?  It  is  sometimes  the  case  with  men,  that  they 
will  appear  with  t-ioofaces^  upon  different  occasions  : 
but  who  dare  ascribe  such  a  conduct  to  the  blessed 
God  1  Or  shall  we  rob  God  of  the  glory  of  some  of 
his  essential  attributes,  tliatAve  may,  at  all  adventures, 
support  a  favorite  hypothesis  ? 

Is  it  needful  to  essay  to  prove  to  any  one  that  has 
read  his  bible,  that  God  searches  the  heart  and  tries 
the  reins  of  the  children  of  men  ?  If  we  look  into  the 
instances  of  God's  allov.'ing  his  people  to  covenant 
with  him,  it  will  most  expressly  appear,  that  he 
therein  appeared  in  the  character  of  the  searcher  of 
hearts.  This  was  the  case  in  renewing  covenant  at 
Sinai,  as  Moses  relates  that  matter  in  Deut.  v.  27, 
28,  29.  "  Go  thou  near  and  hear  aU  that  the  Lord  our 
God  shall  say, — and  we  will  hear  it,  and  do  it.  And  the 
Lord  heard  the  voice  of  your  words  wlien  ye  spake 
unto  me, — they  have  well  said  all  tliat  they  have 
spoken.  O  that  there  were  such  an  heart  in  thcmJ^^ 
Does  not  God  here  appear  in  the  character  of  the 
searcher  of  hearts  ?  So  also  in  the  instance  of  coven- 
anting on  the  plains  of  Moab,  not  only  God,  but  Mo- 
ses too  appeared  to  be  well  acquainted  v.ith  their 
wicked  heart.  Deut.  xxix.  4.  "  Yet  the  Lord  hath 
not  given  you  an  heart  to  perceive,  nor  eyes  to  see, 
nor  ears  to  hear,  unto  this  day."  And  what  words 
can  be  maore  plain  and  express  than  those  words  of 
Christ.  Revel,  ii.  23.  "  And  all  the  churches  shall 
know  that  1  am  he  which  searcheth  the  reins  and 
heart.'' 

The  most  plausible  text  w-hich  haj.  been  produced 
to  support  this  charge  of  double  dealing  upon  God, 
is  in  Isa.  Ixiii.  S.  "  Vov  he  said,  surely  tlicy  are  my 
people;,  children  that  will  not  iie  :  so  he  was  tlieir 
Savior.'*  But  this  text  cor.tJns  nothing  niore  than 
a  divine  declaration  of  that  which  God  might  justly 
and  equitably  expect  from  hio  covenant  people.    God 


176 

dolh  not  here  complam  that  they  hud  deceived  him  ; 
much  less  is  there  any  hint,  or  even  distant  implica- 
lion,  that  he  had  not  acted  in  the  character  of  the 
searcher  of  hearts,  when  he  underiook.  to  be  their 
Savior  :  but  he  here  sets  foi-th  just  matter  of  charge 
against  them,  for  their  falte  and  perfidious  conduct, 
in  not  living  answei-ablc  to  their  solemn  engage- 
ments, and  sacred  covenant  relation  to  himself.  That 
God,  in  his  relation  to,  and  in  all  his  dealings  with 
Ins  covenant  people  and  visible  church,  is  to  b^  con- 
sidered and  regarded  as  the  searcher  of  hearts,  is 
abundantly  evident  from  every  representation  which 
he  hath  given  of  himself  in  liis  word  ;  and  the  denial 
of  it  is  no  less  than  bringing  up  a  vile  slanderous  re- 
port of  the  divine  character,  to  evade  plain  scripture 
evidence,  which,  if  admitted,  would  efTcctually  de- 
molish a  favorite  scheme. 

Some  seem  to  view  the  discipline  prescribed  by 
Christ,  as  intended  chiefly  to  keep  the  unregenerate 
from  being  received  into  the  communion  of  the 
church.  But  this  opinion  is  inconsistent  with  many 
sacred  texts,  some  of  which  I  will  mention.  The 
parable  of  the  marriage  of  the  king's  son,  Matt.  xxii. 
2.  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  certain 
king,  which  made  a  marriage  for  his  son."  Here  I 
would  observe  tiiat  by  "  the  kingdom  of  heaven'*  we 
arc  to  understand  the  church,  as  established  by  the 
gospel  dispensation.  For  when  Christ  sent  his  disci- 
ples before  his  sufferings,  he  sent  them  to  preach, 
saying,  "  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand,"  v/hich 
could  mean  no  other  than  his  church,  as  established 
by  the  gospel  dispensation  And  in  the  same  sense 
he  means  his  church,  by  "  the  kingdom  of  heaven'* 
spoken  of  in  this,  and  many  other  parables.  Verses 
3 — 7.  "  And  sent  forth  his  servants  to  call  them  that 
were  bidden  to  the  wedding  :  and  tliey  would  not 
come  :  Again  he  sent  forth  other  servants,  saying. 
Tell  them  which  are  bidden,  Behold,  1  have  prepar- 
ed my  dinner  ;  my  oxen  and  my  fallings  are  killed,  and 
all  things  are  ready  :  come  unio  ti)e  marriage.     But 


177 

they  made  light  of  it,  and  went  their  ways,  one  to  his 
iarm,  another  to  his  merchandize  :  and  the  remnant 
took  his  servants,  and  entreated  them  spitefully,  and 
slew  them.  But  when  the  king  heard  thereof,  he 
was  wroth  ;  and  sent  forth  his  armies,  and  destroyed 
those  murderers,  and  burnt  up  their  city." 

Thus  fur  the  parable  primarily  respects  the  Jews  ; 
and  the  repeated  calls,  refer  to. their  having  the  first 
offers  of  salvation,  to  wliom  a  preached  gospel  was 
confined  for  a  number  of  years  after  the  resurrection 
of  Christ;  till  their  obstinate  refusal  provoked  the 
king  to  send  forth  his  Roman  armies,  and  burn  up 
iheir  city. 

8,  9,  10.  ''  Then  said  the  king  to  his  servants,  the 
wedding  is  ready,  but  they  which  were  bidden  were  not 
worthy^  Go  ye  therefore  into  the  highways,  and  SiS 
many  as  ye  shall  find,  bid  to  the  marriage.  So  those 
servants  went  out  into  the  highways,  and  gathered  to- 
gether all,  as  many  as  they  found,  both  bad  and  good,, 
ftnd  the  wedding  was  turnidhed  with  guests." 

This  part  of  the  parable  respects  the  calling  of  the 
Gentiles.  Here  observe,  the  servants  are  sent  into 
the  highways,  to  bid  as  many  as  they  should  find  : 
without  respect  to  character,  or  any  regard  to  age  or 
dress.  And  they  gathered  together  all  they  found, 
both  BAD  and  good.  Here,  as  commentators  gene- 
rally observe,  our  Lord  alludes  to  a  custom  which  at 
that  day  prevailed.  lyings  and  rich  m^cn  kept  largo 
wardrobes  of  garments  made  ready  to  put  on.  And 
when  they  made  public  entertainments,  the  guests,, 
were  to  appear  cloathed  out  of  the  king's  wardrobe. 
For  the  king  in  the  parable  could  not  expect,  that 
such  as  the  servants  should  find  in  the  highways, 
v\-ould  be  dressed  in  garments  suitable  to  honor  the 
marriage  of  his  son.  This  to  be  sure,  must  be  our 
Lord's  meaning  in  the  spirit  of  this  parable.  For 
the  wedding  garment  is  not  of  the  sinner's  own  pro- 
viding, but  it  is  provided  for  him  by  Christ. 

11,  12,  13.  "  And  when  the  king  came  in  to  se^ 
the  guests,  ho  saw  there  a  ma!\  which  had  not  on  a 


178 

>ved<Ung;  garment  :  and  he  saith  unto  him,  Friend, 
how  earnest  thou  in  hither,  not  havinf^  on  a  wedding 
garment  ?  And  he  was  speechless.  Then  said  the 
king  to  the  servants,  bind  him  iiand  and  foot,  and 
take  him  away,  and  cast  him  into  outer  darkness  : 
there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth." 

This  pnrt  refers  to  the  day  of  judgment.  For  the 
man  that  had  not  on  the  wedding  garment  is  arraign- 
ed, convicted,  condenmed  and  executed  ;  all  which  is 
evidently  the  procedure  of  the  day  of  judgment. 
Here  observe,  it  is  the  king  himself  who  came 
to  see  the  guests  pit  was  not  one  of  the  servants. 
No  ;  ministers  of  the  gospel  are  the  servants  who 
are  sent  lo  bid  all  they  can  find.  They  have  no- 
thing to  do  v»ith  kingly  power  in  the  church. 
They  have  no  right  to  wriggle  themselves  into 
Christ's  throne,  to  take  the  work  out  of  his  hands, 
and  undertake  to  purge  the  church  of  such  as  have 
not  on  the  wedding  garment  :  but  their  business  is 
to  bring  in  all  they  can  find,  bad  and  good,  regenerate 
and  unregenerate  ;  to  set  open  the  king's  v/ardrobe, 
to  them,  set  before  them  the  wedding  garment,  the 
righteousness  and  image  of  the  Souoi  God,  and  uvije 
them  to  put  it  on  :  it  may  be  they  will  be  prevailed 
with  to  put  it  on,  before  the  king  comes  in  to  see  the 
guests. 

It  is  a  question  v.ith  some,  what  is  meant  by  the 
feast  which  the  guests  are  to  partake  of,  whether  ti^.c* 
privileges  and  blessings  of  the  church  in  this  world, 
or  in  the  heavenly  state.  I  think  both  are  included. 
And  it  is  therefore  a  direct  contradiction  to  both  the 
letter  and  spirit  of  this  parable,  to  njake  a  regenerate 
state  a  necessary  nualification  of  the  person  to  be  re- 
ceived to  the  communion  of  the  church. 

Several  parables  in  Mat.  xiii.  represent  the  matter 
in  the  same  light.  Particularly,  the  parable  of  the 
net  cast  into  the  sea,  which  gathered  of  every  kind, 
bad  and  good,  plainly  shows  that  we  are  to  gatlier 
bad  as  well  as  good,  unregenerate  and  regcnercite, 
.into  the  church.     The  parable  of  leiwen  hid  in  three. 


179 

ir.easurcs  of  ir.cal,  till  the  uhole  v/as  Icavc^iietl,  teach- 
clh  us,  that  it  is  in  fcilouship  with  the  cluirch, 
that  the  unregcnerate  are  to  have  their  hearts  leaven- 
ed with  gospel  leaven.  So  likewise  the  parable  cf 
the  tares,  '^  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  unto 
a  man  which  sowed  good  seed  in  hiy  field  :  but  while 
men  slept  liis  enemy  came  and  sowed  tares."  The 
good  seed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom  ;  which 
expression  evidently  includes,  if  not  primarily  in* 
tends  the  infant  seed  of  the  chnrch.  But  while  men 
sleep  ;  while  parents  sleep*  neglecting  to  bring  up 
their  children  in  the  nurtui  e  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord  ;  while  ministers  sleep,  neglecting  to.  feed 
Christ's  lanjbs,  as  well  as  his  sheep  ;  and  while 
church  members  sleep,  neglecting  christian  watch- 
fulness over  one  another,  tiie  devil  improves  his  time 
to  sow  tares,  by  corrupting  the  minds,  and  vitiating 
the  morals  of  youths.  And  it  is  not  ihe  mind  of 
Christ  to  separate  them  here  :  but  to  let  both  grov/ 
together  till  the  harvest. 

borne  will  here  object,  that  this  sets  the  door  of  the 
church  wide  open  to  the  most  abandoned  sinner,  and 
excludes  all  discipline.  lUit  I  query.  May  not  the 
door  of  the  church  be  open  wide  enough  to  receive 
a  sinner  in  an  unregenerate  state,  and  yet  not  be  so 
wide  open  as  to  receive  such  as  abandon  themselves 
to  the  practice  of  vice  ?  Christ  has  expressly  enjoin- 
ipd  discipline  ;  and  several  important  purposes  are 
plainly  pointed  out  for  whicli  it  is  to  be  exercised. 
Particularly,  to  m.akc  offenders'smsible  of  the  neces- 
sity of  lepcntancc  ;  to  prevent  the  evil  effect  of  bad 
examples  ;  to  prevent  stumbling  blocks  from  being 
Itdd  in  tiJC  way  of  othci's,  to  discourage  them  fron^ 
joining  to  the  church  ;  and  that  the  way  of  truth  n)ay 
not  be  e\il  spoken  of,  to  the  dishoncr  of  ihe  divine 
governor.  Bui  there  is  net  a  single  text  in  the  bJbJe 
that  directs  to  the  use  of  discipline  for  the  purpose  of 
excluding  persons  from  the  church  because  of  unre- 
gencracy.  No,  that  practice  w  holiy  rests  v.^gh  souiC 
Femoie  inferences  wiiich  v,c.  draw  from  some  ^xne--- 


180 

ijrfl  prece|>(s,  by  our  own  iallaciour,  reasoning' ;  \vhich 
casts  great  reproach  upon  the  divme  wisdom  of  the 
head  of  the  church  ;  as  if  he  had  made  laws  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  his  kingdom  that  were  inconsistent  one 
■with  another  :  first,  to  bring  in  the  unregenerate  ;  and 
yet,  keep  them  out  for  unregeneracy  :  as  it  is  evidently 
the  case  with  the  doctrine  of  infant  baptism  ;  unless 
we  make  baptism  when  administered  to  an  infant,  an 
essentially  different  ordinance  from  what  it  is  when 
admitustered  to  an  adult. 

There  is  a  great  difference  among  them  that  are 
yet  m  a  natural  state.  Some  lead  a  regular  life,  are 
doctrinally  acquainted  with  gospel  truths  ;  thereby 
their  corrupdons  are  much  restrained,  and  them* 
selves  awakened  to  some  degree  of  solicitude  to  know 
■what  they  must  do  to  be  saved,  which  innucnceth 
them  to  attend  on  many  duties  of  a  religious  life.  If 
persons  of  this  descriplion  were  admitted  to  the 
Lord's  table,  and  withal,  had  it  inculcated  upon  them 
that  the  outward  action  of  receiving  the  bread  and 
wine,  ought  to  be  attended  with  tiiose  inward  e^erci- 
ces  of  heart,  Vv'herein  Christ  himself  is  received  in  all 
his  offices  ;  it  would  have  a  direct  moral  tendency  tp 
bring  tbera  to  a  true  and  saving  closure  with  him. 
And  there  is  not  only  this  moral  tendency  in  the 
case,  but  this  is  also  the  way  in  which  divine  influen- 
ces are  to  be  sought  after,  ibr  the  conversion  of  sin- 
jiCis,  as  Avell  as  the  edification  of  believers.  Fo# 
*'  Of  Zion  it  shall  be  said.  This  and  that  man  was 
born  in  her."  Psalm  Ixxxvii.  And  in  confirma- 
tion of  this  point  I  might  here  produce  a  large  mmv 
her  of  promises  which  God  hath  given  to  his  visible 
church  ar.d  covenant  people,  of  regenerating  grace. 
Pariicuiaily  Deut.  >:xx  6,  '*  x\nd  the  Lord  thy  God 
will  circumcise  ti:ine  heart,  and  the  heart  of  thy  seed, 
to  love  the  Lord  t'ly  God  with  alt  thine  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  tiiat  thou  muyest-  live.'*  EzckicI, 
xxxvi.  25.  "  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and 
a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you  ;  and  I  will  take 
av/ay  the  stonv  hc;ut  out  cf  your  ficsh,  and  I  v/ill  give 


181 

you  an  heart  of  flesh.''  These  are  evklciuly  promi- 
ses to  give  regenerating  grace  to  his  covenant  peo- 
ple. 

-  There  are  others  of  a  different  character,  who  arc 
but  little  acquainted  with  gospel  doctrines,  are  very 
thoughtless  of  their  own  souls,  break  through  re^ 
straints,  give  a  loose  to  their  lusts,  and  lead  vicious 
lives.  For  persons  of  this  description  to  be  allowed  to 
continue  in  the  church,  would  be  of  a  very  hurtful 
tendency  both  to  themselves,  and  to  others.  For  al- 
though a  serious  attendance  on  the  Lord's  supper,  has 
a  direct  tendency  to  promote  the  conversion  of  a  sin- 
ner ;  yet  for  one  who  lays  waste  his  o\yn  conscience 
by  an  allowed  pracdce  of  known  wickedness,  to  be 
admitted  to  that  ordinance  ;  it  would  have  a  direct 
tendency  to  harden  him  in  his  iniquity.  For  the 
church,  by  suffeiiiig  him  to  continue  in  their  fellow- 
ship,  would  pracdcally  justify  him  in  his  evil  ways. 
And  likewise,  when  a  sinner  indulges  himself  in 
known  wicked  practices,  he  not  only  sliiies  his  owji 
conscience  ;  but  he  also  quenches  the  strivings  of 
God's  spirit,  ajid  lurr.s  him  away  grieved  :  and  so 
provokes  God  to  deny  his  blessing,  without  which,  all 
the  means  of  grace  v»iil  be  ineffectual.  In  such  cases 
therefore,  it  is  necessary  to  make  use  of  disciplijie, 
that  offenders  may  be  excited  to  consideration,  and 
made  to  see  the  necessity  of  repentance  ;  as  well  as 
to  serve  many  useful  purposes  to  other  people.  It  is 
very  obvioui  to  reason,  that  a  serious  and  conscien- 
tious attendance  on  tlic  means  of  grace,  should  have  a 
very  different  inUuence  upon  a  person,  from  what  a 
careless  and  inconsiderate  attendance  thereon  \i\\\ 
have  ;  and  that  tnere  ii  therefore,  sufficient  reason 
for  the  use  of  discipiinc  ;  and  yet,  rigntfully  admit 
uaregenerate  peraoas  to  the  communion  of  the 
church. 

Our  sentiments  concerning  the  qualifications  ne- 
cessary to  a  person's   iavvfuhy  communicating   with 
the  visible  churcii,  will  be  accoiding  to   the  light  ia*" 
\^-aich  v/o  view  the  church.      If.we  view  it  as  setup 

j6 


182 

in  the  world  only  for  the  benefit  of  true  believers, 
that  therein  they  might  hold  communion  with  God  ; 
"\ve  shall  conclude  that  none  may  lawfully  join  it,  but 
true  believers.  But  if  we  view  it  as  set  up  to  sub- 
serve the  purpose  of  Christ's  mediation,  in  carrying 
on  a  treaty  of  peace  and  reconciliation  between  God 
and  sinners  ;  we  shall  readily  see  the  propriety  of  ex- 
lending  the  privileges  pf  it  to  the  unregenerate.  And 
that  ihis  is  the  light  in  which  we  ought  to  view  the 
visible  church,  is  evident,  in  that  the  enjoyment  of 
the  gospel  is  said  to  be  the  chief  privilege  otit.  Rom  . 
iii.  1,2.  "  What  advantage  then  hath  the  Jew  ?  or 
Mhat  profit  is  there  of  circumcision  ?  Much  every 
%vay  ;  chiefly  because  that  unto  them  were  commit- 
ted the  oracles  oi  God."  But  it  is  certain  that  the 
gospel  is  intended  for  the  conversion  of  sinners,  as 
well  as  the  edification  of  believers.  If  then  the  chief 
privilege  of  the  visible  church  is  for  the  sinner,  as  well 
as  the  saint  ;  it  follows  that  all  its  other  privileges  al- 
so are  :  unless  some  plain  and  express  exception  caii 
be  produced. 

III.  I  proceed  to  show  what  great  privileges 
find  advantages  the  members  of  the  church  enjoy 
for  obtaining  and  securing  their  own  salvation. 

It  is  common  for  such  as  deny  infant  baptism,  to 
ask  what  good  it  can  do  them  to  be  baptized  or  brought 
to  the  Lord's  supper,  since  they  cannot  tmderstand 
any  thing  about  it  ?  But  an  answer  to  this  inquiry 
%vill  readily  appear  by  attending  to  the  many  great 
and  precious  promises  which  they  thereby  become 
interested  in.  And  the  heinousness  of  the  crime  in 
w:^nying  them  the  seals  of  the  covenant  bears  a  pro- 
portion to  the  worth  of  the  privileges  from  which 
they  are  thereby  cut  oft'.  It  will  be  here  proper  to 
consider  first,  that  great  and  leading  promise  made 
to  the  visible  church  in  the  covenant  with  Abraham. 
Gen.  xvii.  7.  ''  I  will  establish  my  covenant  between 
me  and  theej  and  thy  seed  after  thee,  in  their  genera- 
tions, for  an  everlasting  covenant  5   to  be  a  God  untp 


183 

thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee.**  This  promise  Is 
made  to  Abraham,  and  lo  liis  seed  ;  to  the  church, 
and  to  the  church  seed  ;  and  in  it  are  wrapped  up  all 
the  privileges  and  blessings  of  the  covenant.  But 
how^much  is  contained  in  this  promise,  "  to  be  their 
God,"  is  not  easily  determined  ;  yet,  that  there  is 
»son"iet!ung  Very  great  and  valuable  cannot  be  denied. 
The  diflerent  manner,  and  the  various  occasions  on 
\vhich  this  promise  is  made,  show  that  very  different 
things,  at  different  times,  are  intended  by  it.  This 
promise,  ''  lo  be  our  God,**  as  it  is  expressed  upon 
some  occasions,  appears  to  include  all  the  glory  and 
blessedness  of  the  heavenly  slate.  Thus  it  is  used  in 
Rev.  xxi.  3.  "  God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and 
be  their  God."  But  the  more  ordinary  occasions  on 
which  this  promise  is  given,  show  that  the  blessings 
which  are  contained  in  it,  are  the  good  things  which 
God  will  bestow  upon  his  church  and  people  in  this 
world.  It  is  evidently  in  this  sense,  we  are  to  under- 
stand this  promise,  when  God  so  often  sent  Moses  to 
speak  unto  the  whole  congregation  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  saving,  "  1  am  the  Lord  your  God."  Upon 
these  occasions,  the  promise  was  made  to  the  whole 
congregation,  young  and  old,  good  and  bad  ;  it  was 
made  lo  the  church,  as  a  visible  church,  a  collective 
body  of  people,  formed  into  a  visible  church  state* 
It  is  therefore  manifest  violence  and  abuse  of  the 
scripture,  to  suppose  there  is  as  much  included  in 
this  promise,  when  made  to  the  visible  church  in  this 
life,  as  when  it  is  made  to  the  church  triumphant  in 
lieaven.  That  we  are  to  understand  this  promise  in 
such  a  limited  sense,  when  made  to  the  visible  church 
.in  this  v/orld,  as  respacting  the  good  things  which 
God  will  bebtow  upon  thciii  in  this  life  ;  is  undeni  ibly 
cvident,  not  only  from  the  manner  of  giving  the  prom- 
ise upon  various  occasions,  but  also  from  God's  own 
explication  of  it.  To  this  purpose  we  may  consult, 
li^xod.  vi.  5,  C,  7,  8.  ''  I  have  also  heard  the  groaning 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  whom  the  Egyptians  keep 
in  bondage  ;  and  I   h.ivc  remembered  my   covcnantv 


i8i 

Wherefore  say  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  1  ain  the 
Lord,  and  1  "vsill  bring  you  out  from  under  the  bur-f 
dens  of  the  Egyptians,  and  I  will  rid  you  out  of  their 
bondage  :  andl  will  redeem  you  with  a  stretched  out 
arm,  and  with  great  judgments.  And  1  will  take 
you  to  me  for  a  people,  and  1  will  be  to  you  a  God : 
and  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  your  God, 
>vhich  bringeth  you  out  from  under  the  burdens  of  the 
Egyptians.  And  I  will  bring  you  in  unto  the  land 
concerning  the  which  I  did  swear  to  give  it,  to  Abra- 
ham, to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob  ;  and  I  will  give  it  you 
for  an  heritage  :  I  «m  the  Lord."  Here  Gofl express- 
ly piomiseth  to  be  their  God  ;  and  particularly  tells 
them  what  good  things  they  were  therefore  to  expect 
from  him.  So  also,  Exod.  x\ix.  45,  46.  "  And  I 
will  dwell  among  the  children  of  Israel,  and  will  be 
their  God.  And  they  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord 
their  God,  that  brought  them  forth  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  that  I  may  dwell  amongst  them.  I  am  the 
Lord  their  God."  Compare  also  Levit.  xxvi.  11,12, 
13.  "  And  I  will  set  my  tabernacle  amongst  you  : 
And  my  soul  shall  not  abhor  you.  And  I  will  walk 
among  you,  and  will  be  your  God,  and  yc  shall  be  my 
people.''  No  rational  construction  can  be  put  upo» 
these  and  such  like  texts,  unless  we  understand  this 
promise  to  be  their  God,  us  being  expressive  of  good 
things  to  be  bestowed  upon  them  in  this  life.  And 
■\vhat  is  still  more  to  our  present  purpose  is,  that  ii^ 
these  explications  of  tlie  contents  of  this  promise, 
there  is  an  express  reference  to  the  covenant  with 
Abraham,  where  this  promise  was  first  given.  And 
hereby  the  promise  of  that  covenant  to  the  visible 
church  and  church  seed,  to  be  their  God,  is  clearly 
limited  to  the  good  things  God  would  do  for  them  in 
this  life. 

The  same  is  likewise  evidently  the  import  of  that 
common  appellation  which  the  divine  Being  so  fre- 
€|uently  assumes  to  himself,  in  being  styled  *'  The 
tjsod  of  Israel  ;"  it  refers  to  his  covenant  relation  to  the 
visible  church}  a»d  is  expressive  of  the  benefits  which 


185 

his  covenant  people  are  to  receive  from  him  in  this 
life.  And  as  God  is  styled  "  the  God  of  Israel,"  so 
they  are  called  *'  his  people."  Deut.  xxxix  9.  "  The 
Lord's  portion  is  his  people,  Jacob  is  the  lot  of  his 
iiiheritunce."  They  were  the  people  of  his  choice, 
separated  unto  him  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  taken 
into  covenant,  under  cjvenant  bonds,  and  heirs  of  ma- 
ny great  and  peculiar  pdviieges  above  the  rest  of 
mankind.  In  these  thini^s  Israel  was  considered  as 
one  collective  body  of  men  ;  and  the  promises  made 
unto  them,  as  such  a  collective  b^dy,  must  necessari- 
ly relate  to  the  good  he  would  do  them  in  that  capaci- 
ty. Whereas  when  God  sets  forth  the  promises  of 
eternal  life,  they  are  never  made  to  collective  bodies 
of  men  j  but  are  predicated  upon  personal  qualificii- 
tions,  or  the  distinijuishing  marks  and  character  of 
the  true  believer.  But  the  promises  made  to  the 
visible  church  have  no  reference  to  the  exercises  of 
saving  grace  in  the  heart,  as  the  condition  of  the  prom- 
ises ;  but  to  a  covenant  relation  lo  God  in  the  visible 
cnurch.  See,  Deut.  x.  15.  *'  Only  the  Lord  had-'a 
Ci<-iight  in  thy  fathers  to  love  them  ;  and  he  chose 
their  seed  after  them,  even  you  above  ail  peopie,  as  it 
i3  this  day.'* 

Now  as  God  stands  related  to  the  visible  church  by 
covenant,  and  has  promised  to  be  her  God  :  it  is  not  an 
unprofitable  relation,  or  empty  title  ;  but  includes  ve- 
ry great  and  valuable  privileges,  as  1  shall  mention  in 
a  few  particulars, 

1.  It  is  a  privilege  of  the  members  of  the  visible 
church,  that  they  are  taken  near  to  God.  The  apos- 
tle styles  such  than  that  are  nigh  :  but  others, /^Ai^/^i 
that  are  far  off.  Eph.  ii.  17.  They  are  taken  into 
God's  house  and  family,  they  have  his  name  named 
nppn  them,  and  are  called  his  children.  Deut.  xiv. 
1.  "  Ye  are  the  children  of  the  Lord  your  God." 
iSuch  as  are  in  the  visible  church,  are  much  more 
highly  favored  than  those  who  are  left  in  a  state  of 
heathenism.  And  although  the  advantages  of  this 
relation  arc  not  profitably  improved  by  many  that  en- 

15* 


1S6 

|oy  them  ;  yet  it  is  in  itself  a  great  priviles^e,  and  i^ 
constantly  so  represented  in  the  word  ol'God.  Exod. 
xix.  5.  "Ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto  me 
above  all  people."  Deut.  vii.  6.  "  For  thou  art  an 
holy  people  unto  the  Lord  thy  God  :  the  Lord  thy 
God  hath  chosen  thee  to  be  a  special  people  unto  him- 
self, above  all  people  that  are  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth."  How  were  they  an  holy  people  ?  Surely  this 
was  not  spoken  with  reference  to  internal  holiness  : 
but  to  outward,  relative,  or  federal  holiness  ;  holiness 
Avhich  belonged  unto  them  as  a  people,  chosen  to  be 
God's  special  people  above  all  that  were  on  the  face  of 
the  earth.  And  shall  we  say,  This  is  no  privilege  ? 
That  God  herein  shewed  them  no  favor  ?  Nor  did 
them  any  good  ?  Shall  we  say,  the  heathen  were  as 
well  off,  and  as  well  dealt  with  as  they  ?  Surely  this 
is  not  the  light  in  which  Moses  viewed  their  case. 
Deut.  iv.  7.  "  For  what  nation  is  there  so  great,  who 
hath  Godso  nigh  unto  them,  as  the  Lord  our  God  is 
in  all  things  that  we  call  upon  him  for  ?"  It  is  to  be 
observed,  that  Moses  speaks  of  this,  not  as  the  privi- 
lege of  here  and  thers  a  true  saint  among  them  :  but 
as  a  national  privilege,  a  privilege  belonging  unto 
them  as  they  were  God's  visible  church.  This  is  al- 
ways justly  to  be  esteemeda  great  favor.  Psal.  cxliv. 
-15.  "  Happy  is  that  people  that  is  in  such  a  case  :  yea, 
iappy  is  that  people  whose  God  is  the  Lord."  They 
are  not  particular  saints  ;  but  nation  and  fieofile^  that 
are  here  spoken  of. 

2.  Another  privilege  of  church  members  is,  that 
God  will  afford  them  the  means  of  grace  and  salva- 
tion. It  is  obvious  the  seed  of  Abraham  partook  of 
great  piivileges  in  this  respect,  above  all  other  pea- 
pie  ;  and  that,  on  account  of  the  covenant  which  God 
made  with  their  fathers,  wherein  they  were  included. 
On  this  account  God  preserved  them  in  Egypt,  and 
afterward  redeemed  them  from  thence.  Deut.  iv.  37. 
"  Because  he  loved  thy  fathers,  therefore  he  chose 
tbeir  seed  after  them,  and  brought  thee  out  in  his 
>ight,  \vith  his  naigbty  power,  out  of  Egypt.    On  the 


187 

same  account  lie  rcnevv-ed  his  covciK»rit  v/itli  t'ncrn  at 
Mount  Sinai,  and  on  the  plains  of  Pvloabv  Tiius  Mo- 
ses sets  before  them  tlie  reason  of  the  renewal  of  the 
covenant.  Dent.  xxix.  13.  "  That  he  may  establi^^la 
thee  to  day  for  a  perple  unto  liimself:  ai^l  ihat  he 
might  be  to  thee  a  God,  as  he  halh  said  unto  thee  j 
and  as  he  hath  sworn  mito  tiiV  fathers,  to  Abraham, 
to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob.'"'  It  w^as  a  privilege  granted 
to  them  in  this  covenant,  that  God  should  set  up  his 
worship  among  them,  give  them  lawb  and  ordinan- 
ces, make  his  abode  with  them,  take  them  under  iiis 
special  care,  defend  them  against  the  nations  round 
about  them,  and  send  them  all  his  servants,  the  pro- 
phets. Shall  we  say,  tliere  is  no  advantage  in  these 
things  ?  That  God  shewed  them  no  favor  in  granting 
them  these  privileges — and  that  still  they  v/ere  no 
better  dealt  with  than  their  heathen  neighbors  ?  The 
psalmist  had  quite  another  thought  of  the  matter  — 
Psalm  cxlvii.  19,  20.  **  He  shewed  Jns  word  unto  Ja- 
cob, his  statutes  and  judgments  unto  Israel.  He  hath 
not  dealt  so  with  any  nation  :  And  as  for  his  judg- 
ments, they  have  not  known  them.  Praise  ye  the 
Lord."  He  thought  God's  name  v.  orthy  to  be  prais- 
ed for  these  things.  The  apostle  Paul  also  represents 
these  enjoyments  as  of  great  advantage.  Rom.  iii. 
1,  2.  "  What  advantage  then  hath  the  Jew  ?  Or 
what  profit  is  there  of  circumcision  ?  Much  every 
way  :  chiefly  because  that  unto  them  were  commit- 
ted the  oracles  of  God.**  .Our  Lord  himself  mani- 
fested great  favor  to  ihe  Jews  upon  this  very  account, 
as  they  were  a  people  in  covenant  with  God.  Hence 
he  declared  he  was  not  sent  but  to  the  lost  sheep  of 
the  house  of  Israel.  And  after  his  resu'Teclion,  he 
gave  commandment  to  his  apostles  to  make  tlie  first 
offer  of  the  goispel  to  the  Jews,  (though  they  had  been 
his  betrayers  and  murderers)  before  they  should  car- 
ry the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  the  Gentiles.  Tor 
this  cause  the  apostle  tells  them  it  was  their  privilege 
by  covenant,  to  have  the  first  offers  of  Christ  and  sal- 
vation made  to  them  j  und  improves  it  as  an  argu- 


188     . 

me'nt  to  persuade  them  to  acknowlege  Christ.     Acts 
iii  25,  26.    "  Ye  are  the  children  of  the  prophets,  and 
of  the  covenant  which    God  made  with  our  fathers, 
saying  unto   Abraham,  And  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the 
kindreds  of  the  earth  be  blessed.    UtUo  you  first.  God 
h.ivins^  raised  up  his  son  Jesus,  sent  him  to  bless  you, 
in  turnine;  away  every  one  of  you  from  his  iniquities.'* 
And  to  the  same  purpose  we  read  in  Rom.  xv.  8. — 
"  Now  I  say,  that  Jesus  Christ  was  a  minister  of  cir- 
cumcision for  the  truth  of  God,  to  confirm  the  promi- 
ses made  unto  tl'je  fathers."     Yea,  and   so  much   re- 
gard did  God  show  to  the  token  of  his  covenant,  that 
he   sent  the  gospel  to  the    Samaritans   many  years 
sooner  than  he  did  to  these  nations  which  were  whol- 
ly heathen.     The  Samaritans  wxre  the  posterity  of 
the   heathen  which   were  planted  in  Samaria  by  the 
king  of  Assyria,  after  the  cuptivity  of  the  ten  tribes. 
And  having  a  priest  sent  among  them   to  teach  them 
the  manner  of  the  God  of  the  land,  they  so  far  obeyed 
as  to  receive   circumcision  ;  and  in  that  respect  took 
hold  of  the  covenant  ;  but  still   continued  idolaters, 
and  never  fully  joined  to  the  church  of  Israel.     But 
because  the  token  of  the  covenant  was  among  them, 
God  favored  them  with  gospel  privileges  much  soon- 
er than  the  other  nations.     See  Acts  viii.     And  the 
gospel  church  stiil  enjoys   these  privileges.     1'hey 
ure  privileges  which  the  church  and  the  church  seed 
have  an  interest  in  by  covenant,  that  God  will  use  meani 
■nith  them  for  tlieir  good,  make  them   the  offers  of 
grace    and    salvation,    and   afford  them   the  proper 
means  and   advantages  for   securing   spiritual    bles- 
sings ;  as  saith  the  prophet  Hosea  xi.  o,  4.  *'  1  taught 
Ephraim  also  to  go,  taking  them  by  their  arms  ;  but 
they  knew  not  that  1  healed  them.    I  drew  them  with 
cords  of  a  man,  with  bands  of  love,  and  I  was  to  them 
as  they  that  take  off  the  yoke  on  their  jaws,  and  1  laid 
meat  unto  them." 
.  3.  The  mediatipn  of  the  Lord  Jeius  Christ  is,  in  a 
great  measure,  the  peculiar  privilege  of  the  visible 
church.     The  treaty  of  peace  v/hich  is  carried  en  in 


]89 

ihe  covenant  of  reconciliation,  by  the  mediation  of  tiie 
I^orcl  Jesus  Christ,  is  mostly  confined  to  the  ciuirch  : 
the  rest  of  mankind  have  little  or  no  interest  in  it. — 
Tiie  church  was  erected  in  the  world  for  tlie  sake  of 
carryint;  on  this  treaty  with  the  children  of  men  ;  to 
the  church  are  committed  the  oracles  of  God — there 
"it  is  gospel  v.orsliip  and  privileges  are  to  be  enjoyed  ; 
there  it  is  the  divine  presence  is  promised,  and  there 
it  is  the  Wcssinj^-s  of  redeemini^  grace  are  dispensed  ; 
i)ut  with  the  rest  of  the  world,  Christ  ordinarily  uscth 
little  or  no  means  to  reconcile  them  to  God. 

These  gospel  privileges  are  the  appointments  by 
which  Christ  exerciseth  lus  mediato'.-ial  office  among 
men,  by  which  sinners  are  converted,  and  saints  edi- 
iied.  So  likewise  when  he  appears  in  the  presence 
of  God  as  a  Medijtor,  it  is  on  belutlf  of  his  visii)V, 
church  and  covenant  people.  Ke  there  improves  his 
mediatorial  influence,  not  for  the  v/orkl,  but  for  his 
church.  The  high-priest  who  was  a  type  of  Christ 
under  the  former  dispensation,  had  the  names  of  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel  engraven  upon  his  breast-plate, 
for  a  memorial  when  he  went  into  the  most  lioly 
place,  to  appear  before  God.  Thus  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  great  higli-priest  of  our  profession,  in  his 
oppearing  in  the  ]:)rcsence  of  God,  has  a  special  re- 
gard for  his  church.  Tiiut  the  mediation  of  Christ 
iii  heaven  is  very  much  the  peculiar  privilege  of  his 
visible  church,  is  evident  from  maiiv  sacred  texts. 
See  Mat.  x.  32,  S3.  "  Wr.osoever  therefore  shall 
confess  me  before  men,  iiina  v.  iii  I  coiifess  also  be- 
fore my  Father  which  is  in  lieaven.  But  whosoever 
shall  deny  liie  before  men,  Jum  will  I  also  deny  be- 
Fore  my  I'ather  which  is  in  heaven."  But  liow  will 
Christ  deny  such  ?  Surely  he  will  not  6Quy  them, 
considered  in  every  character  and  relation.  He  will 
not  cleny  them  as  being  of  the  number  of  the  human 
race  of  whom  he  was  made  a  federal  head  in  the  cov- 
enant of  redemption  ;  nor  will  he  deny  tiicni  ;.s  he  is 
a  great  king  over  all  the  earth.  But  v/hen  he  is  said 
to  deny  such  J  it  can  be  understood  only  in  his  acting 


190 

in  tbc^Iurncter  of  a  Mediator;  that  he  v/ili  HOt  ap^ 
pear  in  the  pi*esencc  of  God  as  a  Mediator  for  such. 
But  those  that  confess  him  before  men,  will  he  con- 
fess before  his  Father.     They  that  confess  him  be-* 
fore  men,  ar*^  evidently  such  as  belons^  to  his  visible 
church,  and  sustain  a  visible  covenant  relation  to  him 
in  the  world  ;    for   such   will   he  appear  before  God 
in  the  character,  and  exercise  the  oilice  of  a  Media- 
tor :    even  as  the   high-priest  had  only  the  names  of 
the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel  engraven  on   his  breast- 
plate,  when  he   appeared  before  God  in  his  office. 
And  if  we  attend  to  the  specimen  which  Christ  hath 
given  us  of  his  intercession,  in  that  mediatorial  pray-r 
er  recorded  in  John  xvii.  it  will  still  appear,  that  it  is 
v.itli  a  special  reference  to  his  church,  that  he  appears 
before  God  in  the  character  of  a  Mediator.     This 
appears  in  the  9th,   10th,  and  11th  verses  :  "  I  pray 
for  them  :    1  pray  not  for  the  world  :    but  for  them 
which  thou  hast  given   me  ;  for  they  are  thine,  and 
all  mine  are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine,  and  I  am  glo- 
rified in  them.     And  nov/  1  am  no  more  in  the  world, 
and   1   come  to  thee.     Holy  Father,  keep  through 
thine  own  name,  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me, 
that  they  may  be  one  as  we  are."     A  question  will 
here  arise  about  the  sense  in  which  Christ  speaks  of 
a  certain  n\imber  as  being  given  to  him.    Some  have 
understood  this  gift  to  refer  to  the  doctrine  of  elec- 
tion, and  the  number  given  to  Christ  to  be  the  num- 
i)er  which  God  hath  eiecied  to  eternal  life,  and  given 
to  Chrisi  in  the  covenant  of  Redemption,     hut  how 
true  soever  that  doctrine  may  be,  yet  I  conceive,  our 
Lord  has  here  no  reference  to  it.     For  as  he  several 
times  in  this  prayer,   mentions  a  certain  number  as 
given  to  him,   for  whom  he  especially  prays  ;   I  pre- 
sume it  will  be  readily  granted,  that  he  useth  this  ex- 
pression in  the  saiiC  sense,  in  the  several  pc.ris  of 
this  chapter,  because  it  is  one  continued  discourse. 
And  in  some  places  this  expression  is  so  used,  that 
we  are  obliged   to  understand  it  as  restricted  to  his 
apostles.     See  the  6th  verse.     "  1  have  manifested 


'i9i 

thy  nam«  iituo  the  rticn  which  ihon  hast  given  me 
out  of  the  world."  And  in  the  8t}i  verse.  *' For  I 
have  given  them  tlie  words  which  tliou  guvest  me  ; 
and  they  have  received  them,  and  have  known  surely 
that  I  came  out  from  thee,  and  they  hc.ve  believed  that 
thou  didst  send  me."  These  woids  are  true,  if  un- 
derstood only  of  the  apostles  ;  but  they  aie  not  true 
V.  hen  applied  to  the  whole  number  of  the  elect.  For 
Christ  had  not  at  that  time  declared  liis  Father's 
name  unto  them  ;  neither  had  the  wht)le  number  of 
the  elect,  at  that  time,  nor  even  till  this  day,  received 
Christ's  words.  Flence  we  are  obliged  to  confine 
these  words  to  the  apostles,  as  the  particular  number 
for  whom  he  prayed  And  it  is  a  like  case  in  the 
12th  verse.  •'  Those  that  thou  gavest  me,  1  have 
kept,  and  none  of  them  is  lost,  but  the  son  of  perdi- 
tion." Here  Christ  owns  he  had  lost  one  of  the  men 
v/hich  the  Father  had  given  him,  Judas,  the  son  of 
perdition,  Avho  at  that  time  was  gone  away,  no  more 
to  return  to  him  as  his  constant  follower.  And  his 
words  in  the  20th  verse,  puts  this  matter  beyond  dis- 
pute. "  Nei  her  pray  1  lor  these  alone,  but  for  them 
also  that  shall  believe  on  me  through  their*  word.'' 
Upon  the  whole  then,  I  think  it  is  evident  that  the 
certain  number  our  Lord  speaks  of,  that  the  Father 
had  given  him,  and  for  whom  he  prayed,  were  his 
apostles  ;  and  they  are  said  to  be  given  to  him,  be- 
cause they  were  all  the  visible  and  openly  professed 
adherents  which,  at  that  time,  he  had  in  the  world, 
Christ  prayed  for  them,  and  for  all  such  as  should  be- 
lieve on  him  through  their  word.  And  hence  it  ap- 
pears, that  it  is  in  a  peculiar  manner,  on  behalf  of  his 
visible  church,  that  Christ  appears  before  God,  in  the 
exercise  of  his  mediatorial  character. 

To  the  same  purpose  we  may  observe  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  mc-diation  of  Christ,  in  Psalm  xvi. — 
The  apostle  in  Acts  ii.  25,  Sec.  mentions  the  8,  9,  10, 
verses  of  this  psalm,  and  so  explains  them  a?  to  show 
us  that  wc  are  to  understand  the  whole  Psalm  as  bc- 
iflg  spoken  by  Christ.     And  in  the  2,  S.  4^  verses  v>;e 


192 

have  a  representaiion  of  Chiist's  iiitcrcebsion  in  hea- 
ven. *'  O  my  soul,  thou  hast  said  unto  the  Lord, 
thou  art  my  Lord  :  my  goodness  extendeth  uot  to 
thee  ;  but  to  the  saints  that  are  in  the  earths  and  to 
the  excellent,  in  •svhom  is  all  my  delight.  Thcij*  sor- 
rows shall  be  multiplied,  that  haslen  af'.cr  another 
God  :  their  drink-offerings  oT  blood  will  1  not  offci-, 
Tior  take  up  their  names  into  my  lips."  In  this  spe- 
cimen of  our  Saviour's  mediation  we  may  observe, 
that  his  goodness,  his  mediatorial  goodness,  extends 
only  to  the  saints  ;  but  the  idolatrous  heathen  Christ 
will  not  mention,  nor  take  up  their  names  into  his 
lips.  Particularly  he  declares,  *►  Their  diink  oiTer- 
ings  of  blood  will  he  not  offer."  It  will  help  us  to 
understand  this,  ii  we  compare  it  with  Rev.  viii.  3  — 
>*  And  anotlier  Angel  came  and  stood  at  the  ahar, 
having  a  golden  censer  ;  and  there  was  given  unto 
him  much  incense,  that  he  should  offer  it  witli  the 
prayers  of  all  saints,  upon  the  golden  altar  wiiich  was 
before  the  throne."  'i  his  angel  is  Ch.rist  acting  in 
his  mediatorial  character,  as  ci^ieiing  up  the  prayers 
of  ail  saints,  and  rendering  them  acceptable  to  God  by 
the  incense  of  his  own  merits.  This  Chiist  does  fv^r 
all  sainis  ;  but  this  will  he  not  do,  with  respect  to  the 
superstitious  devotion  oi  the  heathen.  *'  U  heir  drink 
offcrinos  of  blood  will  he  not  offer." 

As  the  mediatorial  character  of  Christ  in  general, 
is  thus  represented  as  being  peculiarly  the  p!iviieij,e 
of  his  visible  church  ;  so  the  several  offices  which  are 
included  in  his  niediaiorial  character,  are  also  repre- 
sented as  having  a  special  relation  to  it.  Considered 
in  his  priesiiy  character,  he  therein  is  peculiarly  rela- 
ted to  the  church,  [ieb.  X.  'il.  "  Having  an  high 
priest  over  the  house  of  God."  The  church  is  this 
house  of  God  over  which  Christ  ii  priest.  When  he 
is  styled  a  surety,  it  is  represented  as  connected  witli 
his  covenant,  as  a  relation  peculiar  to  his  coveiiant 
people. .  Heb.  vii.  22.  ^^  By  so  nmch  was  JcbUS  made 
surety  of  a  better  testameiit."  When  described 
ii^.  kijig,    "  he  is  seated  upon  his  hoJy  hill  of  Zicn." 


193 

liis-  propheuc  office  also,  by  whlcli  lie  commu' 
lucates  to  mankind  the  knowledge  of  divine  things, 
to  make  them  wise  to  salvation,  is  very  much  the 
peculiar  privilege  of  his  church  ;  for  to  it  are  com- 
luitted  his  written  word,  his  preached  gospel,  and 
the  exercises  of  public  worship.  Rom.  iii.  1,  2, 
*'  What  advantage  then  hath  the  Jew  ?  Or  what  pro- 
fit is  there  of  circumcision  ?  Much  every  way  :  chief- 
jv,  because  that  unto  them  were  committed  the  ora- 
cles of  God."  Psal.  xxii.  22.  "  I  will  declare  thy 
name  unto  my  brethren  :  in  the  midst  of  the  congre- 
g:ation  will  I  praise  thee."  As  all  church  privileges 
llow  from  Christ's  mediatorial  character  and  offices  ; 
so  they  are  to  be  considered  as  the  things  in  and  by 
"\vhich  Christ  performs  the  part  of  a  Mediator,  and 
executes  his  several  offices.  In  these  things  he  me- 
tliates  with  men  that  they  may  be  reconciled  to  God  j 
nnd  imparts  of  his  benctits  and  saving  lulness,  for 
their  salvation. 

Upon  the  whole  then,  it  appears  that  the  mediation 
of  Christ  is  very  much  the  peculiar  privilege  of,  and 
\u  a  great  measure  confined  to  his  visible  church  and 
covenant  people  ;  whilst  the  rest  of  mankind  have 
little  or  no  interest  in  it  ;  from  which  it  appears,  how 
greatly  it  concerns  us  to  enjoy  fellowship  with  the 
church,  that  we  may  be  sharers  in  Christ's  mediation, 
by  which  the  treaty  of  p:ace  a\id  reconciliation  with 
God  is  carrying  on  in  the  new  covenant.  Indeed,  tho 
rest  of  mankind  are  not  totally  and  forever  shut  out 
from  all  ijenetit  of  his  mediation.  For  the  father  hath 
given  to  the  son  "  power  over  all  flesh,"  that  he  might 
gather  in  from  among  them,  subjects  into  his  visible 
kingdom,  to  trtdn  them  up  for,  and  bestow  on  theni 
eternal  life.  And  it  is  one  thing  promised  to  the  So:) 
in  the  covenant  of  redemption,  that  upon  lus  request, 
the  heathen  should  be  given  him.  Psal.  ii.  8.  "  Ask 
of  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  heathen  for  thine  in- 
heritance, and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  thy 
possession."  Here  is  an  instance  in  which  our  Loi-d 
is  represented  as  extending  his  mediation  beyond  thie 

17 


194 

toutids  o{  his  church.  But  vhen  the  Mediator  thus 
asks,  he  obtains  his  request ;  and  such  heathen  are 
thereupon  so  given  unio  Christ,  as  to  come  into  his 
church,  and  in  that  sense,  he  will  have  them  in  his 
possession.  Herein  then  it  still  appears  that  the  me- 
diation of  Christ  is  ordinarily  the  peculiar  privilege 
of  his  church  :  which  in  a  clear  and  strong  light 
shows  how  great  a  privilege,  fellowship  with  the 
rhurch  is  to  be  esteemed,  not  only  for  ourselves,  but 
for  our  children. 

4.  The  influences  of  the  holy  spirit  to  accompany 
the  means  of  grace,  whereby  they  may  become  efl'ec- 
tuai  for  salvation,  is  a  privilege  which  the  visible 
church,  and  church  seed  are  interested  in  by  cove- 
nant. The  influences  of  the  holy  spirit  to  accompa* 
ny  divme  insiituiions,  lendering  them  effectual  to  be- 
gin and  carry  on  a  work  of  grace  in  the  heart,  is  one 
of  the  blessings  included  in  the  promise  of  the  cove- 
nant with  Abra'.iam  For  when  God  renewed  the 
covenant  w  ith  the  children  of  Israel  at  Sinai,  it  was 
promised,  Exod.  xx.  24—*'  In  all  places  where  I  re- 
cord my  name,  1  will  come  unto  thee,  and  I  will  bless 
thee."  And  thus  we  have  the  promise  of  the  cove- 
nant with  Abraham  explained  in  Levit.  xxvi.  11,  12. 
«  And  1  will  set  my  tabernacle  amongst  you  ;  and  my 
soul  shall  not  abhor  you.  And  1  will  walk  among 
you,  and  will  be  your  God,  and  ye  shall  be  my  people." 
To  the  same  purpose  is  this  covenant  explained  by 
the  prophet,  as  inciuding  the  promise  of  the  spirit. 
Hag.  ii.  5.  **  According  to  the  word  that  1  covenant- 
ed with  you  when  ye  came  out  of  Egypt,  so  my  spirit 
remaineth  among  you  :  fear  ye  not  "  And  of  like 
import  is  that  promise  of  our  Lord  to  the  church  un- 
der the  gospel.  Matt,  xxviii  20.  *' And  lo,  1  am 
with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.'*  So 
likewise  the  apostle  applies  the  promise  of  the  spirit? 
in  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  to  the  church  as  it 
takes  in  Gentiles  under  the  gospel.  Gal.  iii.  14. 
•*  That  the  blessing  of  Abraham  might  come  on  the 
Gentiks;  that  wc  might  receive  the  promise  of  the 


193 

spirit  through  faith."  TIi€se  texts  cleariy  show  that 
the  presence  of  God  by  his  spirit,  is  a  privilege  which 
the  visible  church  is  interested  in  by  covenant.  And 
that  promise  to  the  church  stands  good  in  all  ages, 
Psal.  cxxxii.  13,  14,  15.  "  For  the  Lord  hath  chosen 
Zion  :  he  hath  desired  it  for  his  habitation.  This  is 
my  rest  forever  :  here  will  I  dwell,  for  I  have  desired 
it.  i  will  abundantly  bless  her  provision  :  I  will  sat- 
isfy her  poor  with  bread.**  There  are  many  such 
promises  of  the  presence  of  God,  and  the  influences 
of  his  spiri::,  made  to  the  church,  in  all  which  the 
church  seed  are  interested.  For  this  is  the  tenor  of 
the  covenant,  as  appears  from  the  renewal  of  it  on  the 
plains  of  Moab  Deut.  xxx.  6.  "  The  Lord  thy  God 
will  circumcise  thine  heart,  and  the  heart  of  thy  seed, 
to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  ail  thine  heart  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  that  thou  mayest  live.'*  And  of  like 
import  is  that  promise  in  Isa.  xliv.  3.  "  1  will  pour 
water  upon  him  that  is  thirsty,  and  floods  upon  the 
dry  ground  :  I  will  pour  my  spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and 
my  blfessinfj  upon  thine  offspring,"  Isa.  liv.  13  "All 
thy  children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord,  and  great 
shall  be  thepeaceof  thy  children.*'  Isa.  lix.  21.  «  As 
for  me,  this  is  n-fty  covenant  with  them,  saith  the  Lord» 
my  spirit  that  is  upon  thee,  and  my  words  which  I 
have  put  in  thy  mouth,  shall  not  depart  out  of  thy 
mouth,  nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy  seed,  nor  out  of  the 
mouth  of  thy  seed's  seed,  saiih  the  Lord,  from, 
henceforth  and  forever.'*  And  we  have  the  v/it- 
ness  of  the  apostle,  that  the  church  and  the  church 
seed  are  heirs  of  the  promise  of  the  spirit,  under  the 
gospel.  For  it  is  with  express  reference  to  this 
privilege  in  particular  that  he  saith,  Acts,  ii.  39. 
,  **  The  promise  is  to  you,  and  to  your  children." 

The  texts  above  cited,  with  many  others  to  the 
same  purpose,  clearly  show,  that  the  covenant  of  God 
jvith  the  visible  churcli  contains  many  great  and  pre- 
cious promises  ;  and  the  church  and  church  seed  are 
thereby  interested,  both  in  outward  privileges,  and  in 
inward,  spiritual,  and  soul  saving  mercies.  God  him- 
eelf  undertakes  for  them,  has  promised  his  divine 


ISO 

presence  and  spirit,  has  promised  to  eircnmcise  iheiv 
heart,  to  biir.g;  thcnri  to  a  cordial  ctnipiiance  with 
the  way  of  life,  that  they  may  live.  It  is  a  covenant 
in  which  God  promiseth  t©  work  true  holiness  in  the 
heart  of  h.is  people  and  their  seed,  by  his  word  and 
spirit.  The  before  meniioned  texts  expressly  asseit 
that  the  promise  of  the  spirit  is  given  to  the  church 
and  her  seed  indefinitely,  that  God  will  not  only  af- 
ford them  the  means  of  grace,  but  will  also  bless  these 
means,  that  they  shall  become  ellectual  to  bring  them 
to  a  saving  union  with  Christ,  and  to  eternal  life 
through  him.* 

1  hiive  said,  tl:e  promise  of  the  spirit  is  m.ade  to 
the  church  and  her  seed  indefinitely  ;  not  that  every 
one  in  particular,  can  thence  infer  that  God  will  cer- 
tainly do  this  for  him.  No,  these  things  notwithstand- 
ing-,  there  are  many  that  have  a  promise  left  them  of 
entering  into  rest,  who  finally  come  short  of  it  :  and 
yet  there  is  no  breach  of  promise  with  God.  The 
apostle  very  particularly  vindicates  the  divine  faith- 
fulness in  this  case.  Rom.  ill.  Having  moved  this 
question  in  the  first  verse,  '*  What  advantage  then 
hath  the  Jew  ?  Or  what  profit  is  there  of  circnmci- 
sion  f "    and  answered    "  Much  every  way,'*   in  the 

*  We  may  here  observe  that  these  promises  to  the  church, 
expressly  relate  to  the  divir.e  influences  whereby  a  work  of 
grace  is  begun  in  the  heart ;  which  evidently  show  that  con- 
verting jjrace  is  to  be  hoped  for,  and  sought  after  in  the 
way  offellowship  and  communion  vviih  the  church.  And 
hereby  our  controversy  about  a  gracious  state  as  a  necessai*y 
qualification  forjoining  ourselves  to,  and  holding  fellowship 
wiih  ihe  visible  church,  appears  to  be  effectually  decided 
by  God  himself,  in  the  express  terms  of  his  promises. 
For  if  it  was  the  will  of  God,  that  a  gracious  state  should  be 
htld,  as  a  necessary  qualification  to  our  being  received 
into  the  church  ;  then  these  pi  omises  of  regenerating  grace 
which  are  made  to  the  church,  can  liave  no  m.eaning  in  them  ; 
or  if  they  liave  any  meaning,  it  must  be  such  as  will  involve 
God  himself  in  an  absurdity,  and  inconsistency  ;  in  his  first  in- 
stituting a  church  to  be  composed  only  of  such  as  are  al- 
ready regenerated,  and  afterwards  promising  to  bestow 
regeneraing  gracfe  upon  them. 


197 

second  ;  he  queries  upon  it  in  the  two  following  ver- 
ses, "  For  what  if  some  did  not  believe?  shall  their 
unbelief  mike  the  faith  of  God  without  effect  ?  God 
forbid  :  yea,  let  God  be  true,  and  every  man  a  liar." 
When  God  renewed  the  covenant  with  Noah  just  af- 
ter the  Hood,  he  promised  that  the  world  should  no 
more  be  destroyed  with  water.  Gen.  ix.  Although 
this  promise  stands  good  ;  yet  no  p-irticular  person 
can  thence  infer,  that  he  himself  shall  not  be  drown- 
ed. And  in  like  manner  are  we  to  understand  the 
promise  of  the  spirit  to  accompany  the  means  of 
grace,  to  make  them  effectUctl  on  the  heart  to  the  sal- 
vation of  the  members  of  the  church  and  her  seed  ; 
tiie  promise  is  not  absolute,  to  every  one  in  particu- 
lar :  but  to  the  members  of  the  church  and  their  seed 
indefinitely,  as  a  collective  body.  The  dispensation 
of  the  covenant  of  grace  by  which  the  visible  church 
is  set  up,  and  in  which  the  members  of  it  stand  rela- 
ted to  God  as  his  covenant  people,  contains  many 
privileges  and  many  promises  ;  and  some  of  these 
p-.'omises  are  absolute  and  unconditional  ;  others  are 
expressed  conditionally.  The  promise  of  eternal  life 
is  made  conditionally  ;  that  is,  in  case  of  faith  and  re- 
pentance :  others,  many  of  them,  are  unconditional 
and  absolute.  Consequently  all  enjoy  more  or  less 
privileges  and  blessings.  But  there  are  many  that 
belong  to  the  visible  church,  who  act  contrary  to  their 
covenant  engagements,  and  thereby  forfeit  all  the 
privileges  of  the  covenant  :  which  forfeitures  God 
has  a  right  to  take,  according  to  his  sovereign  pleas- 
ure. Some  like  Cain,  go  out  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord,  forsake  his  church  and  worship.  Some 
neglect  to  attend  upon,  or  improve  the  privileges  of 
the  church,  which  are  the  appointed  means  of  grace, 
and  thereby  frustrate  the  grace  of  God.  And  some 
quench  the  spirit  by  doing  violence  to  their  own  con- 
sciences, in  the  allowed  practice  of  known  and  hein- 
ous sii>s.  Now  where  there  are  such  breaches  of 
covenant,  their  mouths  will  be  stopped,  although  God 
should  deny  them  his  blessing,  and  deprive  them  of 


198 

forfeited  privileges.  Psal.  Ixxxi.  11,12.  «  But  my 
people  would  not  hearken  to  my  voice  :  and  Israel 
Avould  none  of  me.  So  I  gave  them  up  unto  their 
own  lusts  :  and  they  walked  in  their  own  counsels." 
By  reason  of  these  forfeitures,  there  is  abundant  room 
for  the  display  of  divine  sovereignty  in  the  bcstow- 
ment  of  his  grace  amongst  his  covenant  people  ;  and 
yet  his  faithfulness  to  his  promises  etands  clear  of  all 
impeachment. 

5.  Another  privilege  of  the  visible  church  is  that 
God  will  gather  in  his  elect  chiefly  from  among  them. 
It  is  no  small  privilege  to  belong  to  that  part  of  man- 
kind out  of  which  such  shall  be  chiefly  taken,  who 
shall  be  saved.  And  that  part  of  mankind  from 
among  whom  the  heirs  of  salvation  are  gathered  in,  is 
doubtless  God*s  covenant  people.  Who  can 
doubt  but  that  such  as  were  saved  from  the  time  God 
made  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  till  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation took  place,  were  mostly  taken  from  amongst 
his  natural  seed  ?  Can  it  be  supposed  with  any  ap- 
pearance of  reason,  that  there  were  as  many  who  ob- 
tained salvation,  during  that  period,  in  any  one  hea- 
then nation  ?  Yea,  or  all  heathen  nations  taken  to- 
gether ;  as  there  were,  from  among  the  children 
of  Israel  ?  And  since  the  gospel  has  extended  the 
privileges  of  the  church  to  the  Gentiles,  will  any  sup- 
pose there  has  been  as  many  sons  and  daughters 
brought  to  glory  from  such  places,  and  from  among 
such  people  as  have  not  enjoyed  church  privileges, 
as  from  those  that  have  ?  Although  the  apostle  Ptiul 
was  not  suffered  to  preach  the  gospel  in  many  places 
where  he  passed  ;  yet  he  was  directed  to  continue 
preaching  the  gospel  in  Corinth,  a  year  and  six 
months  ;  and  the  reason  assigned  for  it  is,  ^'  I  have 
much  people  in  this  place."  Acts  xviii.  10.  We 
have  therefore  abundant  reason  to  adore  divine  good- 
ness, that  our  lines  are  fallen  to  us  in  pleasant  places, 
and  our  God  hath  given  as  a  goodly  heritage,  by  bring- 
ing us  into  the  number,  and  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
privileges  of  those  from  iimong  whoiHj  he  ^vill  chiefly 


199 

pather  in  his  elect  unto  eternal  life.  It  is  doubtless 
true,  that  out  of  the  church,  where  the  ordinary  me^ns 
of  salvation  are  enjoyed  there  is  ordinarily  no  sal- 
vation. The  truth  of  this  may  be  reasonably  in- 
ferred from  the  many  great  and  precious  promises 
made  to  the  members  and  seed  of  the  church,  Vvhich 
have  been  mentioned.  And  there  are  many  texts 
which  represent  the  matter  in  this  light.  To  this 
purpose  our  Lord  told  the  woman  of  Samaria,  John 
iv.  22.  "  Salvation  is  of  the  Jews.'*  The  church  of 
the  Jews,  (corrupt  as  it  was  at  that  time)  was  the 
church  in  communion  with  which  salvi»tion  wastobe 
sought  after,  and  hoped  for.  And  in  Acts  ii.'  47. 
we  are  told,  ♦'  The  I>,ord  added  to  the  church  daily 
such  as  should  be  saved."  But  it  is  grossly  absurd 
for  any  one  to  hope  he  shall  be  saved,  whilst  he  turns 
his  back  upon,'  and  neglects  the  ordinary  means  of 
salvation. 

Thus  have  I  taken  a  brief  and  general  view  of  the 
privileges  conveyed  to  the  visible  church  in  that  cov- 
enant, by  V/hich  it  is  devoted  to  God.  And  they  ap- 
pear to  be  very  great  and  valuable.  And  in  propor- 
tion to  the  worth  of  these  privileges  of  this  covenant 
relation  to  God,  is  the  aggravation  of  *the  guilt  of 
those  who  deny  such  persons  the  enjoyment  of  them, 
to  whom  they  rightfully  belong.  To  cut  off  the 
church  seed  from  this  covenant  and  the  privileges  of 
it,  under  a  pretence  of  their  not  having  grace,  is  do- 
ing what  in  us  lies,  to  prevent  their  ever  obtaining 
grace  to  the  saving  of  their  souls,  and  a  ready  way  to 
make  our  children  cease  from  fearing  the  Lord. 

Before  I  dismiss  this  particular  head,  it  is  proper 
to  mention  some  things  relating  to  the  subject  under 
consideration,  the  truth  of  which  appears  from  what 
has  been  now  offered,  and  will  further  serve  to  clear 
the  subject. 

1 .  The  right  of  infants  to  the  seals  of  the  covenant, 
and  the  privileges  of  the  visible  church,  appears  from 
the  tenor  of  the  covenant,  to  be  a  gift  of  the  free  and 
sovereign  grace  of  God.  It  is  an  objection  in  the 
ininds  of  some,  against  including  intents  in  a  cove- 


200 

r.ant  rclaliOD  to  God,  "  That  the  seed  of  GocPs  coven- 
ant people  come  into  the  world  as  corrupt,  and  as 
much  the  children  of  wrath  by  nature,  as  others." 
But  this  objection  when  searched  to  the  bottom,  will 
be  found  to  arise  from  that  vain,  self-righteous  spirit 
"which  takes  its  encouragement  to  have  confidence  lo- 
wards  God,  from  some  disiinc;uishing  worth,  where- 
by one  is  made  to  excel  another.  It  is  evident  to 
every  one  who  attentively  considers  the  plain  tenor 
of  the  gospel,  that  God  never  treats  with  the  sinful 
children  of  men  about  their  salvation  because  of  any 
distinguishing  excellency  which  he  beholds  in  one 
more  than  another.  For  if  one  excels  another,  it  is 
God  by  his  sovereign  free  grace  that  hath  made  him 
to  differ  ;  in  which  way  God  often  puts  great  differ- 
ence among  them  who  are  by  nature  children  of 
"Wrath,  even  a»  others.  Thus  it  is  "wiih  respct  to 
the  seed  of  his  covenant  people  ;  it  is  God  himself 
that  hath  put  a  difference  between  tiiem  and  others, 
by  the  free  sovereign  grace  extended  to  them  in  his 
covenant.  Although  they  come  into  the  v.orldin  the 
same  corrupt  state  as  others,  yet  God  himself  under- 
takes for  them,  to  establish  his  covenant  with  them, 
and  to  cause  it  to  take  effect  among  them.  And  see- 
ing God  is  their  surety,  what  better  reason  or  surer 
ground  c-an  there  be  for  putting  the  seals  of  his  cov-» 
enant  upon  them  ?  God  did  not  take  the  seed  of 
Abraham  into  covenant,  upon  presumption  that  they 
would  be  truly  holy  ;  but  because  he  intended  to 
to  make  them  holy.  He  did  not  take  ihem  in,  be- 
cause of  any  holiness  which  he  expected  to  find  in 
them,  more  than  in  others  ;  nor  was  their  hitercst  in 
the  covenant  predicated  upon  any  charitable  supposi- 
tion of  their  being  truly  gracious  :  but  their  interest 
in  the  covenant  was  a  free  gift  of  the  rich  and  sove- 
reign grace  of  God,  granted  to  them  in  the  covenant. 
The  electing  love  of  God  is  in  no  case  represented  as 
arising  from  any  superior  excellency  or  worthiness 
which  he  beholds  in  one,  more  than  in  another. — 
When  God  chooseth  one  to  eternal  life,  it  is  not  be> 


201 

■Oiiuse  the  person  chosen  is  more  worthy  of  biich  grace 
than  another  ;  but  it  is  "  even  so  Father,  for  so  it 
seemed  good  in  thy  sight."  And  it  is  a  like  cuse 
when  God  elects  any  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  privi- 
leges of  a  covenant  relation  to  hiniselfj  in  this  life  :  it 
is  a  gift  of  sovereign  grace.  The  seed  of  Abraham 
were  by  nature  children  of  wraih,  even  as  others  ; 
yei  it  pleased  God  to  choose  them  to  be  his  covenant 
people,  to  dwell  among  them  by  his  word,  ordinances 
and  spirit,  and  to  take  out  from  among  them  the  heirs 
of  eternal  life.  The  want  therefore  of  a  gracious 
state  in  infants  is  nothing  to  the  purpose  ;  it  is  no  ob- 
jection against  their  being  taken  into  covenant,  and 
being  admitted  into  the  enjoyment  of  covenanl  seals 
and  privileges  in  the  visible  church. 

'  In  whatever  light  we  view  the  covenant  of  grace 
we  sh«Il  find  liberty  granted  to  the  sinful  children  of 
men  to  close  in  with  it,  and  in  that  way,  become  in- 
terested in  all  the  privileges  of  it,  without  regard  to 
any  previous  distinguishing  personal  qualificationB 
whatever.  **  Whosoever  -will,  may  come  and  drink 
of  the  water  of  life  freely."  This  is  the  case  when 
the  covenant  is  considered  in  its  most  limited  tenor, 
or  the  special  promises  of  it,  which  insure  eternal 
iife  to  the  true  believer.  It  is  not  necessary  for  a  per- 
son to  be  in  a  gracious  state  before  he  may  come  to 
Clirist,and  close  with  hin-i  upon  the  gospel  offer,  and 
thereby  become  interested  in  all  the  special  promises 
of  the  covenant.  For  it  is  his  thus  coming  to  Christ, 
that  is  his  entrance  into  a  state  of  grace,  and  becom- 
ing truly  holy.  And  as  ii  is  not  necessary  for  a  per- 
son to  be  in  a  state  of  grace  before  he  may  close  cov- 
enant wiih  Christ ;  so  neither  is  it  neressary  to  our 
entrance  into  a  covenant  relation  to  jii  v*  \n  his  visible 
church  ;  unless  we  wiu  insist  upon  better  qualifica- 
tions in  the  person  whom  the  church  may  receive, 
than  in  him  whom  Christ  himself  will  receive.  The 
want  of  a  gracious  state  ot  heart  is  no  more  a  reason 
why  we  should  be  kept  back  fiem  uniting  with  the 
church,  than  it  is,  why  wc  should  be  kept  off  from 


unithig  with  Christ.  The  right  which  any  one  hasj 
whether  infant  or  adult,  to  come  into  a  covenant  rela- 
tion to  God,  in  any  respect  whatever,  does  not  arise 
from  any  personal  goodness  v/hereby  one  excels  an- 
other ;  but  their  right  hereto  is  a  gift  of  the 
free  and  sovereign  grace  of  God,  granted  in  the  cov- 
enant itself.* 

2.  God  hath  made  provision  for  the  preservation 
of  his  church,  and  the  continuance  of  it  from  genera- 
tion to  generation,  by  extending  the  covenant  with  Ijis 
people  to  their  seed  after  them.  As  it  is  the  pur- 
pose of  God  to  preserve  to  himself  a  church  among 
mankind  continually,  and  has  decreed  that  the  gates 
of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it ;  so,  he  has  in  such 
a  manner  framed  his  covenant  with  it,  as  is  wisely 
calculated  to  carry  this  decree  into  execution,  by  ex- 

•  Some  liave  denied  that  Infant  baptism  includes  a  real 
confederation  of  the  infant  :  and  assert  that  it  is  only  the 
privilege  of  the  parent  to  present  his  child  to  God  in  that 
ordinance.  President  Edwards,  in  his  treatise  upon  qualifi- 
cations for  communion  in  the  visible  church,  labors  hard, 
for  a  number  of  pages  together,  to  establish  this  view  of  it. 
And  many  have  thereby  been  led  to  consider  infant  baptism 
as  the  doings  of  the  parent ;  and  that  the  binding  influence 
of  it  rests  upon  parental  authority.  But  if  baptism  is  a  seal 
of  the  new  covenant,  that  single  idea  of  it.  totally  subverts 
all  that  President  Edwards  has  there  said  upon  it.  Every 
thing  in  religion  that  rests  upon  human  authority,  is  vain 
will-worship.  And  if  the  binding  influence  of  baptism  rests 
upon  the  authority  of  the  parent,  it  can  be  viewed  in  no 
other  light  than  a  commandment  of  man  ;  and  falls  under 
that  censure  of  our  I^ord,  Mark  vii.  7-  *'  In  vain  do  ye  wor- 
ship me,  teaching  for  doctrine  the  commandments  of  men." 
It  was  not  the  authority  of  Abraham  that  made  it  the  duty 
of  the  children  ^f  Israel  to  circumcise  their  seed  ;  but  the 
command  of  G  i  It  is  said  indeed  of  Abraham,  that  he 
would  commanu  his  household  to  serve  the  Lord.  But  the 
command  of  Abraham  with  respect  to  circumcision,  was  not 
the  command  of  a  parent ;  but  of  a  prophet :  and  the  bind- 
ing influence  of  that  command  wholly  rested  upon  divine 
authority.  And  it  is  alike  case  with  infant  baptism  under 
the  gospel.  I  Cor.  xii.  13.  "  For  by  oae  spirit  we  are  all 
l?»ptiacd  into  one  body." 


SOS 

teiKlini^  the  promise  to,  and  undertaking;  to  cstafjlisfc 
his  covenant  with  the  church-seed.  This  is  evident- 
ly the  cdse  in  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  wherein 
God  undertook  to  establish  it  with  Isaac,  even  before 
he  was  born  Gen.  xvii  21.  "But  my  covenant  will  I 
establish  with  Isaac  whom  Sarah  shall  bear  unto  thee  at 
this  set  time  the  next  year.'*  Thus  also  in  Psal.  cii. 
28.  *'  The  children  also  of  thy  servants  shall  continue, 
and  their  seed  shall  be  established  before  thee.'*  I 
have  before  observed,  this  promise  is  given  to  on/ 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  respecting  his  servants  and  their 
seed  ;  and  must  therefore  necessarily  be  understood 
to  relate  to  the  gospel  dispensation.  This  is  an  ex- 
press testimony  that  God  hath  taken  tlie  same  care, 
and  made  the  same  provision  for  the  preservation  ot 
his  church  in  the  world  now,  as  he  did  under  the 
former  dispensation.  And  thus  the  prophet  repre* 
3ents  the  provisica  which  God  hath  made  for 
the  preservation  of  his  church  from  one  generation 
to  another,  by  taking  the  seed  of  the  church  into  cov- 
enant, comparing  it  to  an  oak  when  it  casts  its  leaves 
at  the  approach  of  winter.  Isa.  vi.  13.  "But yet  in 
it  shall  be  a  tenth,  and  it  shall  return,  and  shall  be 
eaten  :  as  a  teil-tree,  and  as  an  oak  whose  substance 
is  in  them,  when  they  cast  their  leaves  :  so  the  holy 
seed  shall  be  the  substance  thereof."  God's  extending 
the  covenant  to  the  seed,  is  manifestly  the  provision 
he  hath  made  for  upholding  and  preserving  his 
church,  that  it  should  not  be  subject  to  die  with  its 
present  set  of  members.  Thus  was  it  upheld  under 
the  former  dispensation  ;  not  indeed  in  all  the  branch* 
es  of  Abraham*s  family ;  it  soon  failed  in  Ishmael, 
and  in  the  children  of  Keturah  :  but  with  Isaac  was  it 
established,  and  was  renewed  with  Jacob,  and  from 
time  to  time  with  his  seed  after  him.  And  it  is  in 
like  manner  the  church  is  preserved  under  the  gos- 
pel It  has  maintained  its  succession  in  the  church- 
seed  ;  not  indeed  in  every  place  where  the  church  has 
been  set  up  ;  for  in  some  instances  God  has  as  it  were. 
given  a  bill  of  divorcement  to  particular  churche^*, 


i^04 

•n^hen  they  haic  greatly  corrnpted  tl^.emselvcs,  i.i  con- 
sequence of  whicli  they  have  soon  come  to  notliing  : 
but  in  other  places  the  covenant  has  been  established 
with  their  seed  ;  tlicy  have  taken  deep  root,  and  spread 
far  and  wide  ;  and  by  the  cliurch-seed,  have  been 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation  ;  instead 
of  the  fathers  have  been  the  ciiildren,  according  to 
God's  promise  ;  herein  dispkiving  his  truth  pnd  cov- 
cnant-fuithfulness,  and  proving  hiniself  to  Lc  the  God 
of  his  people,  and  of  their  seed  after  them. 

Such  therefore  who,  in  their  great  zeal  for  a  pure 
church,  composed  only  of  real  saints  ;  cut  oil  the 
church  seed,  deny  them  the  seals  of  the  cove- 
nant, disown  their  interest  in  the  promises,  exclude 
them  fi-oin  the  priviieges  of  the  visible  church,  and 
put  them  among  those  who  in  God's  account,  have 
broken  his  covenar-t  ;  are  really  striking  at  the  very 
being  of  the  church,  and  counteracting  the  express 
appointment  of  God  for  the  piescrvation  of  it.  And 
if  VtC  view  facts,  it  will  readily  appear  that  the  denial 
of  the  covenant  right  of  mfants  directly  tends  to  the 
litter  ruin  and  death  of  the  church.  Let  us  look 
%vhere  we  will,  and  inquire  after  such  as  have  exliibit- 
ed  the  best  evidence  of,  real  religion,  in  their  lives 
and  conversations  ;  and  it  will  generally  be  found 
that  they  are  such  as  from  their  infancy  have  in 
some  good  degree  been  acknowledged  and  treated 
as  children  of  the  covenant.  Indeed,  it  must  le 
•acknowledged  as  a  sorrowful  truth,  that  nuiny,  who 
Recording  to  the  tenor  of  the  covenant,  were  early  ded- 
icated to  God  in  baptisin\,  and  educated  in  a  chiistian 
manner,  have  received  the  grace  of  God  in  vain  ;  to 
>vhom  that  complaint  may  be  justiy  applied,  Psul. 
Ixxxi.  11.  12.  *' But  my  people  would  not  heark- 
en to  my  voice  :  and  Israel  would  none  of  me,  so  I 
gave  them  up  unto  their  own  lusts,  and  they  walked 
in  their  own  counsels  "  But  this  notwithstanding,  if 
we  compare  such  families  who  have  been  considered 
and  educated  as  the  children  of  the  covenant,  with 
sucii  as  have  been  brotight  up  unbaptizcd.  nor  treated 


20, 


(i 


or  ackno'vvledp;cd  as  being  included  in  the  cavenalil 
with  God  ;  we  shall  find  that  generally,  the  difference  is 
very  great.  How  rare  a  thing  is  it  to  see  any  one 
who  has  had  such  an  unchristian  education,  that  be" 
haves  in  the  world  like  a  person  of  real  religion  ?-^ 
Those  who  like  Cain,  go  out  from  the  presence  ot' 
tlie  Lord,  both  they  and  their  children  very  com- 
monly live  without  God  in  the  world.  Much  may 
be  seen  of  this,  in  single  families  which  live  here 
and  there,  in  a  christian  neighborhood  :  but  how 
much  more  evident  does  this  appear,  when  we  look 
into  such  places  v/here  it  has  been  the  general'  prac- 
tice of  people  to  deny  the  seal  of  the  covenant  to  their 
children  ?  It  is  generally  the  case  in  a  few  genera- 
tions, that  there  is  next. to  nothing  ofchristianity  to 
be  found  among  them. 

3.  Infant  baptism  is  not  an  unproRtable  ceremony'5 
but  is  attended  with  real  and  great  advantages.  I 
grant,  an  infunt,  through  his  present  incapacity  of 
exercising  his  rational  faculties,  can  make  no  per- 
sonal improvement  of  his  baptism  :  but  this  is  no  real 
objecti/)Ti  against  it.  There  are  many  advantages 
arising  from  a  covenant  relation  to  God,  some  of 
which  an  infant  in  his  infancy  is  capable  of  receiving. 
A  cliiid  is  capable  of  receiving  the  regenerating  and 
sanctifying  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  for  John  the 
baptist  was  sanctified  from  his  mother's  womb.  And 
if  a  child  that  has  had  his  covenant  relation  toj  and 
interest  in  God,  sealed  upon  him  by  baptism,  should 
die  in  infancy,  before  he  is  capable  of  personally  refus- 
ing the  offers  of  salvation  which  are  made  in  the  gos- 
pel, I  know  of  no  reason  why  we  may  not  suppose  ha 
Avill  reap  the  benefits  and  blessings  of  the  coverjant,  in 
the  future  state.  As  infants  are  sulijected  to  a  bodily 
deatii  through  the  sin  of  Adam,  so  riicy  are  doubtless 
capable  of  inheriting,  eternal  life  through  the  obedi- 
ence of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  And  as  they  are 
capable  of  receiving  so  great  a  blessing,  their  being 
admitted  to,  and  confirmed  in  thisr.ew  covenant  relation 
to  God  in  their  baptism  gives  us  much  more  reasoji 
18 


206 

to  hope  they  shall  be  saved,  than  we  should  have,  if 
they  were  exchided  from  the  covenant.  And  seeing 
the  promise  of  God  to  such  a  child,  to  be  IlS  God,  is  so 
plain  and  express,  it  falls  but  little,  if  any  thing,  short 
of  an  absolute  promise  of  eternal  life,  to  all  such  as  are 
thus  taken  out  of  the  world  in  an  infant  state.  But 
tiiis  we  must  leave. 

Whether  baptism  will  secure  eternal  life,  to  a  child 
dying  in  infancy,  or  not ;  yet  there  are  some  privileges 
to  be  enjoyed  in  this  life,  an  interest  in  which  is  con- 
firmed to  children  in  baptism,  if  they  live  to  grow 
up  ;  especially  such  blessings  and  privileges  as  af- 
ford them  a  fair  opportunity  to  secure  eternal  life. — 
There  is  the  special  care  of  divine  providence  order- 
ing all  things  which  concern  them,  in  covenant  love 
and  faithfulness  ;  the  enjoyment  of  the  external  light 
of  the  gospel  and  means  of  grace,  and  the  internal 
strivings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  tending  to  render  means 
effectual  on  their  hearts,  for  salvation.  And  can  it 
be  esteemed  no  privilege  for  a  child  to  grow  up,  and  ga 
forward  in  life,  with  a  covenant  interest  in  such  advan- 
tages as  these  ? 

Some  will  object  here,  that  if  children  grow  up 
among  us,  they  will  enjoy  the  means  of  grace,  the 
light  and  privileges  of  the  gospel,  as  well  without 
baptism  as  with. 

Well,  allowing  that  a  child  growing  up  among  us 
lanbaptized,  may  have  the  advantages  of  reading  God's 
word,  of  hearing  a  preached  gospel,  and  of  attending 
on  the  common  exercises  of  public  worship  ;  I  grant, 
a  sovereign  God  may  add  his  blessing  with  them,  and 
afford  the  influences  of  his  Holy  Spirit  to  render  these 
privileges  effectual  for  salvation  to  such  a  person  : 
But  the  question  is,  whether  we  have  as  much  leason 
to  expect,  or  ground  to  hope  God  will  do  it  for  one 
not  in  covenant,  as  for  one  that  is  ?  Especially  since 
God  hath  said,  Gen  xvii.  14.  *' The  uncircumcised 
man-child  whose  flesh  of  his  foreskin  is  not  circum- 
cised, that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people  :  he 
hath  broken  my  covenant."  It  is  the  blessing  of  God. 
that  readers  the  means  of  graqe  effectual  for  salvation  j 


207 

but  what  reason  have  we  to  hope  for,  or  expect  GofV*s 
blessing  out  of  his  own  appointed  way  ?  A  baptized 
child  has  a  covenant  interest  in  the  means  of  grace 
and  influences  of  the  spirit,  v/hich  gives  great  reason 
to  hope  for  salvation  :  but  an  unbaptized  child  has 
nothing  to  hope  in  but  uncovenanted  mercy. 

4.  It  is  likewise  evident  that  such  as  have  been 
brought  into  covenant  by  baptism,  should  look  upon 
themselves  thereby  under  obligations  to  devote  them- 
selves to  the  service  of  God.  We  see  that  baptisni 
confirms  a  special  covenant  relation  to  God,  which 
involves  the  person  under  covenant  bonds,  and  enti- 
tles him  to  special  privileges  which  further  serve  to 
add  weight  to  the  bonds  of  duty,  upon  such  persons 
to  whom  they  are  granted.  We  are  very  prone  to 
forget  our  covenant  relation  to  God,  to  make  light  of 
the  bonds  of  duty  thereby  laid  upon  us,  and  to  look 
upon  ourselves  at  liberty  to  live  very  much  as 
we  please,  to  regard  or  disregard  the  obligations  of 
our  baptismal  covenant,  because  it  was  our  parents, 
and  not  ourselvc<>,  that  were  active  in  having  the  seal 
of  the  covenant  put  upon  us.  But  it  should  be  re- 
membered, ih?.t  it  was  not  so  properly  the  act  of  our 
parents,  as  the  act  of  God,  that  the  bonds  of  the 
covenant  v/erc  sealed  upon  us  in  baptism.  It  is  God's 
authority  and  appointment,  and  not  the  authority  of 
our  parents  that  makes  baptism  binding  upon  us. 
And  shall  we  dispute  the  point  with  Mm  ?  In  cov- 
enant transactions  among  men,  no  one  is  holden  till 
he  has  given  his  own  consent  :  but  it  is  not  so  in 
God*s  covenanting  with  us  ;  he  has  a  right  to  lay  us 
under  covenant  bonds  without  our  consent ;  and  wc 
are  holden  by  them  whether  we  will  or  no.  Every 
baptized  person  therefore  ought  to  know,  that  he  has 
no  right  to  dispute  these  covenant  engagements  ;  but 
is  holden  to  look  upon  himselt  bound  thereby  to  re- 
nounce and  forsake  the  ways  of  sin,  to  give  himself  en- 
tirely up  to  the  service  of  God,  and  to  set  himself  to 
seek  divine  favor  in  the  way  pointed  out  in  the  cove- 
HL-nt  :  but  if  he  violates  his  covenant,  he  does  it  at  his 
pcriii    If  the  discipline  of  the  church  was  duly  excrci^- 


ed  toward  all  snchasarc  made  members oiit  by  baptiiJUi 
as  well  as  toward  such  as  come  to  the  Lord's  table,  rt 
would  have  a  direct  tendency  to  lead  people  to  more 
juBt  conceptions  of  the  bond  of  duty  laid  upon  them 
-in  baptism.  But  if  the  church  neglects  them,  and 
thus  treats  them  as  not  being  members  ;  it  has  a  ten- 
dency to  lead  ihcm  not  to  look  upon  themselves  so 
^luch  holden  by  their  baptismal  engagements  as  they' 
would  do,  if  the  authority  of  Christ  in  his  church  was 
duly  exercised  over  them. 

5.  The  preceding  representation  shows  the  crimi- 
nal nature  of  the  conduct  of  those  who  renounce  the 
baptism  they  received  in  infancy,  as  being  of  no  va- 
lidity. If  infant  baptism  is  a  divine  appointment,  war- 
ranted by  the  constitution  of  the  visible  church,  and 
the  express  terms  and  tenor  of  that  covenant  by  which 
It  stands  related  to  God  ;  and  if  the  person  thereby 
©btains  an  interest  in  such  great  privileges,  and  pre-, 
-cicus  promises  ;  all  which  have  been  abundantly  pro* 
Ved  ;  then  the  heinous  nature  of  that  conduct  by  whick 
this  divine  ordinance,  this  covenant  relation,  and  these 
invaluable  privileges  arc  renounced,  and  these  sacred 
bonds  violated,  is  proportionably  aggravated.  And 
even  that  very  principle  which  they  profess  to  act  up* 
on,  is  a  double  aggra  v  ation  of  their  crime.  All  such 
i\%  thus  renounce  their  baptism,  hold,  that  a  person 
must  be  in  a  gracious  state  before  he  receives  bap* 
tism.  This  is  their  professed  principle,  and  they  all 
pretend  to  act  upon  it  in  being  re-baptized.  Now  to  ad- 
mit the  supposition,  that  such  persons  are  not  deceived 
inthemseves  with  rcspectto  that  saving  change  ol  heart 
which  they  look  upon  themselves  to  be  the  happy  sub- 
jects of  ;  allowing  God  has  poured  out  his  spirit  upon 
them  in  his  saving  influences  ;  this  then  is  a  very 
strong  confirmation  of  their  b;.  ptismal  covenant ;  it  is 
God's  own  seal,  witness  and  testimony  to  the  divine 
original,  validity  and  authority  of  their  infant  baptism. 
For  here  observe  ;  this  is  one  of  the  blessings  prom- 
ised in  the  covenant  of  God  wiih  the  visible  churchy 
that  he  would  aiFord  the  influences  of  his  spirit  to  ren- 
der the  priviley;c  ©.f  the  ^fospel  effectual  for  sklyation 


^209 

lo  the  members  of  the  church.  I  have  plentifully 
proved  th^t  God  hath  promised  hij>  people,  that  he 
will  circumcise  their  heart,  and  the  heart  of  their 
seed,  to  love  the  Lord  their  God,  that  they  may  live  ; 
that  he  will  take  away  the  stony  heart,  and  will  give 
his  people  an  heart  of  flesh  ;  that  he  will  create  in 
them  a  clean  heart,  and  renew  in  them  a  right  spirit. 
When  therefore  God  accordinc^  to  his  promise,  ful- 
fills these  gracious  covenant  engagements  to  his  peo- 
ple, in  bestowing  so  great  a  blessing  as  the  special, 
saving  influences  of  his  holy  spirit ;  he  therein. proves 
their  covenant  relation  to  hims(^lf,  and  shows  himself 
to  be  their  covenant  God,  in  this  fulfilment  of  his 
promise  to  them.  And  if  God  thus  owns  and  bles- 
ses his  own  institution  of  infant  baptism,  and  that,  by 
the  bestowmcnt  of  such  an  unspeakoble  fiwor,  which 
confirms  the  -.^^lidity  of  their  baptism,  and  their  cov- 
enant relation  to  himself  ;  how  criminal  then,  must 
their  conduct  be,  in  denying  their  baptism,  and  re- 
nouncing their  covenant  with  God,  after  such  a  gra- 
cious fulfilment  of  it  upon  his  pint,  wherein  he  has 
confirmed  his  covenant  v.dth  them  ?  And  what  still 
heightens  the  iniquity  oi  their  conduct  is,  that  they 
take  occasion  to  renounce  covenant  with  God,  from 
his  fulfilment  of  it  to  them.  Such  perfidious  conduct 
towanls  their  covenant  God  gives  just  grounds  to  sus- 
pect, that  they  are  really  deceived  in  the  judgment 
they  make  upon  their  own  state,  and  that  their  sup- 
posed change  is  really  nothing  more  than  a  specious 
delusion  of  Satan  transforming  himself  into  an  angel 
of  light. 

6.  When  we  look  into  the  tenor  of  the  covenant 
which  God  hath  made  with  the  visible  church,  we  see 
a  glorious  display  of  the  riches  of  his  free  and  sove- 
reign grace  towards  mankind,  that  should  influence 
us  to  love  and  gratitude.  It  is  wonderful  rich  gracf: 
in  God  to  treat  with  the  sinful  children  of  racn  about 
their  salvation,  in  the  form  of  a  covenant  ;  and  much 
more  that  he  siiould  extend  his  promised  favor  unlo 
children's  children.      Children  are  veiy  near  to  their 


210 

parents  ;  they  have  a  very  tender  regard  to  their  off* 
spring,  and  esteem  a  kindness  done  to  them,  as  high- 
ly as  one  done  to  themselves.  There  is  therefore  a 
great  motive  to  praise  God,  set  before  his  people,  on 
account  of  the  many  gracious  promises  which  extend 
to  their  seed  after  them.  Thus  the  psalmist  excites 
Israel  to  praise  God.  Psal.  cv.  1,  2.  "  O  give  thanks 
unto  the  Lord  ;  call  upon  his  name  ;  make  known 
his  deeds  among  the  people.  Sini^  unto  him,  sing 
psalms  unto  him,  talk  ye  of  all  his  wondrous  works." 
And  as  a  motive  to  enforce  these  duties,  he  reminds 
them  of  the  covenant  love  of  God  to  his  people,  and 
4heir  seed,  in  the  6th  and  following  verses.  "  O,  yc 
,&eed  of  Abraham  his  servant,  ye  children  of  Jacob  his 
-chosen.  He  is  the  Lord  our  God,  his  judgments  are 
in  all  the  earth.  He  hath  remembered  his  covenant 
forever,  the  word  which  he  commanded  to  a  thousand 
generations.  Which  covenant  he  made  with  Abra- 
ham, and  his  oath  unto  Isaac  ;  and  confirmed  the  same 
imto  Jacob  for  a  law,  and  to  Israel  for  an  everlasting 
covenant."  Andin  Psal.  cxlvii.  12,  13.  **  Praise  the 
Lord,  O  Jerusalem  :  Praise  thy  God  O  Zion.  For 
he  hath  strengthened  the  bars  of  thy  gates  :  he  hath 
Messed  thy  children  within  thee."  It  is  rich  grace 
in  God  to  take  the  children  of  his  people  into  cove- 
n^nt  with  himself,  to  put  his  name  upon  them,  tl.f  t 
they  should  be  called  the  children  of  God  ;  to  sepa- 
rate them  to  himself  as  a  peculiar  treasure  above  all 
others,  and  to  prevent  them  with  his  mercy,  by  laying 
grace  in  store  beforehand  for  them,  that  he  may  dra\y 
their  hearts  to  himself,  even  before  Satan  can  get  any 
advantage  against  them.  Adoption  is  one  of  the 
grounds  on  which  wc  are  called  the  children  of  God. 
It  seems  to  be  the  sentiment  of  some,  that  the  rela- 
tion of  children  unto  God,  both  by  adofitio?i,  and  by 
regeneration  go  together,  and  are  inseparably  connect- 
ed, inthe  same  person.  But  this  is  a  great  mistake. 
To  be  the  children  of  God  by  adoption,  in  some  de- 
gvee  at  least,  is  a  privilege  that  many  partake  of,  who 
-aifj  Bot  the  ftbildrcn  of  God  by  regeneration  :    yea>  'ti 


Ill 

IB  a  privilege  shared  in  common  by  all  the  membei'S 
of  the  visible  church,  that  they  are  the  adopted  chil- 
dren of  God.  Hence  Moses  spake  to  the  whole  con- 
gregation of  the  children  of  Israel.  Deut.  xiv.  1. 
"  Ye  are  the  children  of  the  Lord  your  God."  And 
the  apostle  speaks  of  the  Jews  as  the  people  "  to 
whom  pertaineth  the  adoption."  Rom.  ix.  4.  And 
upon  this  account  it  is,  that  our  Lord  in  the  parable 
of  the  rich  man,  represents  Abraham  as  speaking  to 
him  in  torment  with  the  appellation  of  son.  Luke 
xvi.  25.  '*  And  Abraham  said,  Son^  remember  that 
thou  in  thy  life  time  received  thy  good  things." 

IV.  I  now  proceed  to  show  what  obligations  peo- 
ple are  under  to  seek  lor,  lo  attend  upon,  and  to  im- 
prove the  privileges  of  the  visible  church,  that  they 
may  be  saved. 

The  members  of  the  visible  church  being  united 
to  the  same  head,  are  united  one  to  another,  and  form- 
ed into  one  body,  by  the  same  covenant  by  which 
they  stand  related  to  God  as  his  covenant  people. 
And  the  purpose  for  which  the  church  is  thus  form- 
ed and  united,  is  the  joint  attendance  upon,  and  per- 
formance of  the  several  exercises  of  public  worship  ; 
v>hich  are  the  appointed  means  of  communion  with 
God,  as  well  as  of  communion  one  with  another. 
The  several  religious  exercises  to  be  attended  upon 
by  the  church,  are  prayer,  singing  praises,  reading 
the  word,  a  preached  gospel,  and  the  celebration  of 
gospel  ordinances,  such  as  baptism  and  the  Lord's 
supper.  And  the  Lord's  day  is  the  set  time  for  the 
church  ordinarily  to  meet  together  for  these  purpo- 
ses. And  the  bonds  of  the  covenant  of  God,  in  a  ve- 
ry sacred  manner,  bind  and  oblige  the  members  of  the 
church  to  give  their  attendance  on  these  religious 
exercises. 

Some  may  imagine,  it  is  no  matter  whether  they  at- 
tend on  public  worship  or  not  :  they  can  read  the 
bible,  can  read  as  good,  yea,  better  sermons  at  home» 
than  they  shall  hear  delivered  in  public  j  tnence  es* 


212 

teem  it  a  lit^ht  matter  whether  they  give  their  attend- 
ance in  public  or  not.  But  let  such  remember,  that 
the  thin;4-  required  in  the  covenant,  is  attendance  on 
divine  institutions.  Our  public  attendance  is  that  by 
which  we  give  public  honor  to  God,  and  to  his  ap- 
pointments ;  it  is  there  we  are  to  present  ourselves 
before  God  ;  and  there  it  is  that  he  has  promised  to 
meet  with  and  bless  his  people.  The  means  of  grace 
become  effectual  on  our  hearts  through  the  blessing 
of  God  ;  therefore  his  blessing  is  to  be  sought  after 
in  his  own  appointed  way.  And  it  is  by  attending  on 
public  worship  that  the  kingdom  of  the  Redeemer  is 
upheld  in  the  world,  and  the  influences  of  it  extended 
and  propagated  among  mankind.  Our  attendance 
therefore  on  the  public  religious  exercises  of  the 
church  appears  to  be  a  very  important  duty,  enforced 
upon  us  by  many  considerations,  but  more  especially 
by  our  covenant  engagements. 

.  But  the  most  common  neglect  of  people  is  their 
non-attendance  on  gospel  ordinances,  baptism,  but 
more  especially  the  Lord's  supper.  The  conduct  of 
many  among  us  is  very  blameable,  who  are  of  the 
church  seed,  included  in  the  covenant,  and  laid  under 
the  sacred  bonds  of  it  by  baptism,  to  obey  all  the  com- 
mands of  God,  that  they  keep  back  from  this  ordin- 
ance,therein  acting  in  direct  disobedience  to  the  express 
command  of  Christ,  "  Do  this  in  remembrance  of 
me."  Unaccountable  is  the  conduct  of  many  in  turn- 
ing their  backs  upon  this  ordinance.  Some  perhaps 
are  influenced  by  one  reason,  and  some  by  another. 
It  seems  to  be  in  some  the  effect  of  mere  carelessness, 
that  they  slight  that  ordinance  and  care  nothing  about 
it  ;  who  may  be  fitly  compared  to  profane  Esau,  who 
for  one  morsel  of  meat  sold  his  birth  right,  and  so 
lost  the  blessing.  Some  seem  to  make  themselves 
easy  in  the  neglect  of  this  ordinance,  because  they 
think  they  have  some  excuse  for  their  neglect, 
,and  are  very  willing  to  be  excused  ;  either  because 
they  expect  tliey  may  take  more  liberty  in  the  ways 
of  sin,  than  would  be  allowed  of  if  they  joined  in  full 


0,13 

with  tb.c  church  ;  or  because  they  feel  moi*c  easy  ia 
their  minds  about  their  loose  and  careless  way  of  liv- 
ing, than  they  imagine  they  should  do  if  they  came 
to  the  Lord's  supper  ;  and  not  being  willing  heartily 
to  engage  in  a  strict  religious  life,  they  choose  to  stay 
away.  But  with  some,  and  perhaps  many,  it  may  be 
a  real  scruple  of  conscience  whether  they  may  come 
to  that  ordinance  till  they  have  attained  to  a  truly  gra- 
cious state.  But  with  such,  I  would  query,  la  it  the 
ivay  to  attain  to  a  truly  gracious  atate^for  a  ficrson  to 
live  in  the  alloived  neglect  of  the  means  of  grace  ? 

I  will  here  alledge  the  express  command  of  the 
kingof  the  church  "  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me."' 
This  command  is  evidently  binding  upon  the  churcht 
and  reacheth  every  member  of  it.  Here  then,  the 
only  question  is,  who  are  the  church  ?  who  are  the 
3Tiember3  of  it  ?  for  all  such  come  v/iihin  the  binding 
peach  of  this  command.  And  1  think,  the  answer  to 
this  inquiry  appears  so  plain  and  evident  from  the 
preceding  discourse,  as  to  admit  of  no  evasion.  The 
covenant  by  v/hich  the  visible  church  is  formed,  is  evi- 
dently that  which  was  brought  in  by  the  mediation  of 
Christ,  after  the  fall,  which  was  first  revealed  to 
Adam,  and  afterwards  renewed  with  Abraham  :  the 
church  was  then  set  up  in  his  family  ;  and  is  contin- 
ued to  this  day,  in  the  church  seed.  If  therefore  we 
are  of  the  church  seed,  and  have  had  the  covenant 
established  with  us  by  baptism,  the  command  is  bind- 
ing upon  us.  1  have  offered  abundant  evidence  that 
we  arc  made  members  of  the  church,  not  by  any  per- 
sonal profession,  or  covenant  engagem.ents  and  prom- 
ises :  but  it  \s  baptism  which  alone  visibly  constitutes) 
or  publicly  seals  and  confirms  our  union  with  the 
church,  and  our  covenant  relation  to  God.  And  if 
infant  bapiism  is  of  divine  right,  as  has  been  proved  ; 
it  follows,  that  the  church  seed,  having  the  covenant 
established  and  confirmed  by  baptism,  are  thereby 
rendered  the  true  and  real  members  of  the  church, 
and  entitled  to  all  the  priviliges  of  its  communion,  as 
st>on  as  they  attain  to  a  competent  age  or  ca^acit^.*^ 


214 

The  truth  of  this  cannot  be  denied  by  any,  unless 
they  will  deny  iiifcint  baptism,  or  plead  for  a  mungrel, 
hali-vvay  church  member-ship  which  the  apostles 
knew  nothing  of :  and  yet,  1  am  not  so  sanguine  in 
my  expectations,  as  to  suppose  mankind  will  be  easily 
persuaded  to  admit  it  into  practice.  No,  the  custom 
of  obtaining  accession,  to  the  communion  of  the  church 
by  making  a  personal  profession,  and  verbal  cove- 
nanting, has  so  much,  and  so  long  prevailed,  and 
carries  such  a  dazzling  lustre  with  it,  that  it  can- 
not be  easily  removed.  It  has  ever  been  the  case, 
"When  human  inventions  have  been  brought  into 
use  in  the  church,  divine  institutions  have  been 
obliged  to  truckle  to  them.  The  custom  of  ob- 
taining a  right  to  the  privileges  of  communion 
in  the  church  by  making  a  personal  profession,  lias 
something  in  it  which  is  suited  to  please  the  vanity*  and 
elate  the  pride  of  human  nature  ;  as  it  gives  them  an 
opportunity  to  distinguish  themselves  above  others  ; 
and  especially  in  such  places  where  the  practice  of 
making  a  relation  of  their  experiences  has  obtained, 
which  above  all  other  methods,  affords  to  people  of  a 
Pharisaic  turn,  an  opportunity  to  trumpet  their  own 
praises,  that  a  man  must  hazard  his  own  character  to 
appear  in  opposition  to  it.  The  bulk  of  mankind 
have  their  eyes  so  dazzled  with  the  splendor  of  making 
personal  professions,  that  baptism  has  very  much  lost 
t)ie  sacred  veneration  which  ought  to  be  given  to  it : 
and  Satan  finds  his  account  in  it  too  ;  as  mankind  are 
thus  brought  to  make  light  of  that  divine  ordinance, 
iind  to  feel  little  ov  nothiiig  of  those  sacred  obligations 
which  their  covenant  relation  to  God  lays  upon  them. 
It  is  discernable  even  by  a  superficial  observer,  that 
the  baptism  of  a  person,  whether  infant  or  adult,  is,  in 
tlie  common  acceptation  of  mankind,  but  a  light  thing, 
in  comparison  with  that  profession,  and  those  covenant 
engagements,  wiiich  a  person  makes  when  he  is  re- 
ceived as  a  member  of  the  viiible  church.  Thus  have 
mankind  "  made  void  the  commandment  of  God 
throtigh  their  traditions/'  and  very  much  lost  the  just 


215 

apprehensions  of  the  true  import,  and  sacred  naliire 
of  that  ordinance,  which  was  divinely  instituted  to  be 
a  covenanting  transaction.  But  to  return  from  this 
digression. 

If  this  command  of  Christ, "  Do  this  in  remembrance 
of  me,"  is  given  to  the  Church,  it  is  binding  upon  all 
the  members  of  it;  and  that,  whether  the  present 
state  of  their  hearts  is  gracious  or  not.  We  do  not 
inquire  whether  our  children  are  renewed,  before  we 
seek  baptism  for  them  ;  by  the  receipt  of  which  or- 
dinance they  are  confirmed  members  of  the  visible 
church,  their  title  to  the  privileges  of  it,  even  to  the 
Lord  supper,  as  well  as  other  privileges,  is  confirmed 
by  the  ordinance  ;  and  they  are  laid  under  covenant 
obligations  to  come  forward,  and  attend  upon  all  acts 
of  communion,  as  fast  as  they  grow  up  to  a  sufficient 
capacity.  If  the  unregeneiacy  of  our  children  is  no 
reason  why  we  should  defer  their  baptism,  then  their 
unregeneracy  cannot  cancel  their  ri^ht  to  these  privi- 
leges to  which  they  are  thereby  entitled,  nor  their 
obligations  to  attend  upon  God  in  them  :  as,  I  think, 
is  evident  to  a  demonstration. 

Some  will  say,  the  command  under  consideration 
requires  us  to  come  to  this  ordinance  with  a  believ- 
ing penitent  heart  '.  but  we  may  not  come  with- 
out it. 

I  readily  grant,  it  is  the  duty  of  every  one  to  believe 
in  Christ,  and  repent  of  sin  ;  no  sinner  can  be  ex- 
cused for  continuing  one  moment  in  an  impenitent 
state.  And  1  grant  likewise,  that  'lis  the  duty  of 
every  one  to  come  to  this  ordinance  with  a  believing 
penitent  heart.  But  what  I  assert,  as  evident  from 
the  foregoing  discourse,  is,  that  whether  such  an 
heart  be  in  us  or  not,  the  act  of  attending  is  not  to  be 
omitted.  It  is  a  like  case  in  every  other  religious 
exercise  ;  yea,  and  in  eveiy  moral  action  of  life.  If 
we  pray,  the  command  is  to  pray  in  faith  ;  and  if  the 
want  of  a  saving  faith  is  a  reason  why  we  should 
not  come  to  the  Lord's  supper  ;  it  is  equally  a  reason 
why  we  should  not  pray.     \Ve   are  required  to  read 


God^sword  and  to  bear  it  preached,  in  faith  -,  but  if  the 
■■^vant  of  faith  is  a  reason  why  we  shoujd  neglect  an 
.ittend^incc  at  the  Lord's  supper,  it  is  equally  so  why 
^ve  should  neglect  to  read  the  word,  or  hear  it  preach- 
ed. We  are  required,  "  Whether  we  eat  or  drink, 
or  whatever  we  do,  to  do  ail  to  the  gh)ry  of  God  ;" 
which  command  implies  the  exercise  of  true  faith  ; 
But  if  the  want  of  faith  is  a  reason  why  we  should 
neglect  to  eat  at  the  Lord's  table,  it  is  equally  so,  why 
Vv'c  should  neglect  to  eat  our  daily  bread.  The  com- 
riiand  to  attend  on  the  Lord's  supper  is  of  the  same 
tenor  with  every  other  command  ;  they  ail  respect 
the  heart,  and  require  a  gracious  manner  of  perform- 
ance. i:Vnd  if  the  want  of  a  gracious  frame  of  heart, 
is  a  reason  why  we  should  neglect  to  perform  the 
matter  or  outward  act  of  duty  required  in  one  com- 
mand ;  it  is  equally  so  in  all  the  rest  :  and  by  this 
argument,  the  sinner  will  be  discharged  from  every 
exertion,  or  attempt  of  performing  every  duty  of  both 
natural  and  revealed  religion  :  and  must  sit  stiil  in 
total  inactivity  wiih  respect  to  the  use  of  all  means, 
wailing  for  God,  to  be  found  of  them,  who  in  this  sense 
seek  him  not.  And  to  be  consistent,  they  must  also 
in  like  inactivity,  wait  for  common  mercies,  without 
Uising  the  means  cf  providence. 

All  such  religious  exercises  as  are  appointed  to  the 
visible  church,  properly  fall  under  a  double  considc- 
rytion.  They  are  duiies  to  be  performed  ;  and  they 
are  means  to  be  used  in  seeking  ihe  blessinos  of  divine 
grace.  It  is  by  an  attendance  on  the  religious  exer- 
cises of  church  fellowship  that  sinners  are  to  wait  up- 
on, and  seek  to  God,  that  he  may  meet  with  and  bless 
them  in  his  own  appoined  way,  according  to  his 
promise  to  the  church.  Exod.  xx.  24.  "  In  all  places 
where  i  record  my  name,  1  will  come  unto  thee,  and 
J  will  bless  thee"  Altho' religious  exercises,  when 
they  are  to  be  simply  considered  as  duties,  are  to  be 
pt  rformed  wiih  a  gracious  heart  ;  yet,  considered  as 
means  of  grace,  they  are  to  be  attended  on  whether 
there  be  ijuch  an  iieiUt  in  us  or   not.     bucli  argu- 


1^17 

merits  as  will  support  certain  conclusions  concerning 
them,  considered  as  duties  ;  will  not  support  the 
same  conclusions  concerning  them,  when  they  are 
considered  as  means  of  grace.  Thus  for  instance, 
to  hear  the  word  preached,  considered  as  a  duty,  we 
must  hear  it  in  faith  :  but  a  preached  gospel  is  to  be 
attended  upon  whether  we  have  faith  or  not.  "  For 
faith  comes  by  hearing.'*  And  it  is  a  like  case  with 
-all  the  religious  exercises  which  the  church  is  to  at- 
tend upon  ;  they  are  all  means  of  grace,  means  which 
by  the  blessing  of  God,  become  effectual  to  produce 
grace  in  the  heart.  We  must  wait  upon  God  in  his  own 
appointed  way,  for  the  blessing  of  a  new  heart.  Ezek, 
xxxvi.  37.  "  Thus  saiththe  Lord,  I  will  yet  for  this  be 
enquired  of  by  the  house  oi  Israel,  to  do  it  for  them.*' 
The  many  gracious  promises  made  to  the  visible 
church,  that  God  will  be  theirGod,  that  he  will  circum- 
cise their  heart,  to  love  him  with  all  the  heart,  that  he 
will  pour  out  his  spirit  upon  them,  and  take  away  the 
stony  heart  out  of  their  flesh,  and  give  thcra  an  heart 
of  flesh ;  these  I  say,  and  such  like  promises  which  God 
hath  made  to  his  visible  church,  with  respect  to  what  he 
will  do  for  its  members  ;  and  which  therefore  evident- 
ly stand  in  close  connexion  with  the  means  of  grace, 
and  the  religious  exercises  which  the  church  is  to  ob- 
serve, afford  an  undeniable  evidence,  that  wc  are  to 
wait  upon  God  with  such  hearts  as  we  have,  in 
his  own  appointed  way,  in  the  communion  and  fellow- 
ship of  his  church,  for  the  bestowment  of  the  promis- 
ed blessings  of  his  grace. 

Objection.  Whatever  a  man  does  in  his  natural 
»tate,  is  sin  ;  and  if  we  eat  and  drink  unworthily,  we 
shall  eat  and  drink  da«Tination  to  ourselves. 

jiiuiver.  This  objection  thoroughly  searched,  wil! 
be  found  to  have  no  foundation  but  a  self  righteous 
spirit  which  takes  encouragement  to  go  to  God,  from 
some  supposed.personal  excellency,  like  the  phari- 
sec,  "  God  I  thank  thee  that  \  am  not  as  other  men 
are.**  There  never  was  one  yet  found  among  tho 
Children  of  men,  who  in  the  sense  Qf  this  objection, 

1.9 


218 

%vas  worthy  to  sit  down  at  the  Lord's  table.  Worthi- 
ness, in  the  text  referred  to,  respects  not  the  qualifica- 
tion of  the  person  partaking,  but  the  ordinance  itself, 
or  rather  the  mannerof  partaking  of  it.  The  unworthy 
receiving,  of  which  the  Corinthians  were  reproved, 
consisted  in  not  discerning  the  Lord's  body  ;  that  is 
not  making  a  proper  distinction  between  that  ordi- 
nance and  common  food  ;  not  attending  to  its  spirit- 
ual signification.  And  although  it  may  be  in  some 
sense  true,  that  whatever  a  man  in  his  natural  state 
does,  is  sin  ;  yet  it  is  equally  true,  that  he  sins  as 
greatly,  and  perhaps  more,  in  neglecting  the  Lord's 
supper,  than  he  might  do,  in  attending  upon  it  ;  as 
he  therein  rebels  against  an  express  command,  "  Do 
this  in  rememberance  of  me  :  which  shows  the  ob- 
jection to  have  no  foundation. 

Although  God  hates  the  sin  ;  yet  he  loves  the  sin- 
ner ;  and  that,  even  in  his  unregenerate  state.  John 
iii.  16.  '*  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  on- 
ly begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him, 
should  not  perish  but  have  everlasting  life."  Rom, 
V.  8.  "  God  commandeth  his  love  towards  us,  in  that 
while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us."  Eph. 
ii.  4,  5.  "  But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great 
love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when  we  were 
dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ." 
And  although  we  should  make  a  thousand  metaphy- 
seal distinctions  in  the  love  of  God  ;  as,  a  love  ©f  pity, 
a  love  of  benevolence,  a  love  of  complacency,  and  the 
like  ;  yet  it  is  evident  from  the  scripture,  that  God 
loves  us  whilst  we  are  yet  in  our  sins  ;  and  does  ex- 
express  his  love  towards  us  various  ways.  God  has 
expressed  his  love  towards  us  in  the  gift  of  his  Son  ; 
he  expresseth  his  love  in  the  bounties  of  his  provi- 
dence, and  in  the  publication  of  his  word,  in  setting  up 
his  church  in  the  world,  in  taking  us  into  covenant 
with  himself  by  baptism,  admitting  u$  to  the  privile* 
ges  of  the  Redeemer's  visible  kingdom^  and  promis- 
ing to  meet  with  us,  and  bless  us  in  his  own  appoint- 
ci  waj.     Aad  to  pretend  that  we  must  not  come  to 


^19 

the  enjoyment  of  these  privileges,  because  of  our  owu 
unworthiness,  is  voluntary  humility  ;  or  rather,  the 
insufferable  pride  of  our  own  corrupt  hearts,  that  we 
will  not  accept  of  a  favor  or  privilege,  as  a  free  gift,  at 
the  hands  of  God's  rich,  self  moving  and  sovereign 
love  and  grace,  because  we  cannot  receive  it  upon 
the  footing  of  some  worthiness  or  deservings  of  our 
own. 

As  our  coming  to  this  ordinance  is  an  action  ex- 
pressive of  our  devoting  ourselves  to  Christ :  so  on 
the  other  hand,  our  turning  our  back  upon  it,  is  an 
action  expressive  of  our  rejecting  him.  .  We  there- 
by practically  say,  we  will  not  have  this  man  to  reign 
over  us.  We  act  und-er  the  influence  of  the  same 
wicked  heart,  if  we  keep  back  from  this  ordinance,  as 
we  do,  when  we  come  to  it,  without  sincerely  yield- 
ing our  hearts  to  Christ.  All  the  difference  is,  in 
coming  to  the  ordinance,  the  wickedness  of  the  heart 
is  kept  under  restraint ;  but  in  keeping  from  it,  the 
wickedness  of  the  heart  is  complied  with,  indulged, 
gratified,  and  openly  acted  out.  And  if  there  is  great- 
er wickedness  in  practising  sin  in  our  lives,  than  there 
is  in  merely  conceiving  it  in  our  heart ;  it  must  be 
allowed  to  be  greater  wickedness  to  keep  back  from 
the  ordinance,  than  to  come  to  it,  Vrith  the  sameun- 
renev/ed  heart.  It  was  wickedness  in  Cain  to  contin- 
ue impenitent,  but  it  was  increased  wickedness  in  him 
to  go  out  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  Thus  are  we 
to  view  the  matter  with  respect  tothe  man  himself:  but 
in  the  eye  of  the  world,  in  his  coming  to  the  ordinance., 
Christ  is  openly  honored  and  acknowledged  ;  in  his 
keeping  back,  Christ  is  openly  despised  and  rejected. 
Although  the  preparation  of  the  heart  ought  carefuly 
to  be  attended  to,  yet  there  isnot  so  much  depends  up- 
on it,  as  a  self-righteous  spirit  inclines  to  imagine.  For 
my  own  part,  1  freely  own  I  h.ad  much  rather  people 
should  attend  on  religious  exercises  with  corrupt 
views,  than  not  to  attend  at  all.  For  it  was  doubtless 
curiosity  that  brought  together  that  great  multitude 
«n  the  day  of  pentecost.  Axts  ii.  And  yetj  three  thou- 


£20 

sand  of  them,  in  constquence  of  it,  were  gained  ovci 
to  Christ. 

Let  it  be  here  further  considered,  that  all  churcli 
T)rivileges  and  ordinance&belong  to,  and  are  the  exerci- 
ses of  Christ's  mediation.  Christ  as  Mediator,  has  not 
only  to  apply  to  God  on  behalf  of  sinners  ;  but  also  la 
apply  to  sinners,  that  he  may  reconcile  them  to  God 
He  carries  on  the  treaty  of  peace  and  reconciliation 
■with  God,  among  his  professing  people,  in  his  church, 
by  his  word,  t\  orship,  ordinances  and  spirit.  When 
a  man  therefore  is  denied  the  enjoyment  of  church 
fellowship,  by  any  church,  he  is  therein  cut  off  from 
a  share  in  the  mediation  of  Christ.  It  therefore  great- 
ly concerns  every  church  to  take  special  heed  to  the 
grounds  and  reasons  of  their  own  conduct,  when  th^y 
refuse  such  as  offer  themselves  to  their  communion  * 
lest  thereby  they  should  be  found  guilty  of  restrain- 
ing the  mediation  of  Christ,  and  cutting  off  such  from 
the  enjoyment  of  it,  for  whom  Christ  died.  And  it 
equally  concerns  every  person  to  take  heed  to  his  own 
c;onduct,  lest  he  is  found  to  reject  the  Mediator,  and 
Tefuseth  to  suffer  Christ  to  execute  his  mediatorial 
office  between  God  and  his  own  soul  ;  lest  he  thrust 
himself  away  from  those  divine  appointments  by 
which  Christ  carries  on  the  treaty  of  reconciliation, 
and  like  Cain,  goes  out  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord.  If  we  reject  and  turn  from  the  Mediator,  in 
those  things  wherein  he,  in  the  exercise  of  his  offices,, 
applies  himself  to  us  ;  we  cannot  expect  he  will  ap- 
ply to  God  for  us.  For  if  we  deny  him  before  man, 
he  also  will  deny  us  before  his  Father  who  is  in  hea- 
ven. Shall  vfc  think  our  being  in  a  natural  state  is 
any  reason  why  Christ  should  have  nothing  to  do  with 
us,  nor  we  with  him,  in  his  mediatorial  capacity  ?  is 
that  a  reason  why  he  should  not  mediate  between 
God  and  us  ?  Must  we  be  first  savingly  changed,  be- 
fore Christ  may  treat  with  us  about  our  salvation  ?' 
Let  it  then  be  well  considered  what  we-  do,  when  w^e 
turn  our  back  upon  the  exercises  of  church  fellow- 
ship ;  that  we  therein  turn  our  back  upon  Christ,  re- 
ject his  mediation,  and  refuse  to  suffer  him  to  carry 


221 

on  the  treaty  of  peace  ^ith  \is.      Sucii  sinners  reject 
the  coir.isel  of  God  aj^ainst  themselves. 

Thus  I  trust  it  is  evident,  that  all   such  as  are  uni- 
ted to  the  church  by  baptism,  ought  to  maintain  com- 
iTkunion  with  it  in  all  religious  exercises,  and  gospel 
institutions.     Yet  it  must  be  remembered  that  a  bare 
attendance  is  not  the  whole,  which  in  these  things,  is 
required  of  us.     No,  our  business  there  is  to  meet 
with  God,  to  devote  and   give  up  ourselves  to  him, 
with  our  whole  heart,   according  to  those  bonds  of 
duly  laid  upon  us  in  our  covenant  wiih  him.     If  we 
are  destitute  of  a  gracious  frame  of  heart,  we  ought 
not  to  make  ourselves  easy,  and  sit  down  content  in 
our  outward  privileges ;  for  the  time  will  come  when 
such  children  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  out.     And 
although   our  not  being  in  a  state  of  grace,  is  not  to 
be  admitted  as  a  reason   for  our  neglecting  an  atten- 
dance at  the  Lord's   table  ;    yet  wq  are  not  to  quiet 
ourselves  in  this  state,  nor  look  upon  it  that  we  have 
attended  as  we  ought,  till  we  truly  yield  up  our  he-art 
to  God.     As  when   Moses  led  the  children  of  Israel 
to  renew  covenant  on  the  plains  of  Moab,  he  tells 
them,  tliey  stood  before  the   Lord,  that  they  should 
enter  into  covenant  with  him  ;  not  barely  to  recog- 
nize their  covenant  relation  ;  but  to    yield  up  them- 
selves  to  God,  from  the  heart   in  that  relation  :   so 
when  we  come  to  the  Lord's  table,  we  there  appear 
before  God,  not  merely  to  renew  covenant  with  him  ; 
but  our  business  is  to  yield  up  our  hearts  to  a  sincere 
closure  and  compliance  with  our  covenant  relation  to 
God,  and  our  obligations  to  him.    And  when  vre  have 
attended,  if  we  find  our  heart,  like  a  deceitful  bow, 
has  turned  aside,  and  our  souls  are  not  truly  reconcil- 
ed to  God  ;    that  sacred  transaction  should  serve  to 
impress  our  minds  with  a  more  thorough  conviction 
of  our  guilt,  and  fill  us  v/ith   a  more  serious  and  ef- 
fectual engagedness  of  soul,  to  seek  a  renewed  change 
of  heart  ;    and  are  therefore  not  to  give  over,  but 
must  renew  our  attempts,  if  perhaps  a  sovereign  God 
may  meet  with  iis  and  bless  us  in  hisown  appaintcd 

19* 


222 

way.  It  is  in  this  manner  that  sinners  should  watcb 
at  wisdom's  gates,  and  wait  at  the  posts  of  her  door. 

Our  not  being  in  a  gracious  state  is  so  far  from 
being  a  reason  why  we  should  keep  back  from  the 
communion  of  the  church,  that  it  is  really  a  reason  why 
we  should  come  into  it.  The  many  promises  to  the 
visible  church,  in  which  God  engageth  to  work  holi- 
ness in  its  membcis,  should  be  prevailing  motives 
with  such  as  iind  their  need  of  grace,  influencing 
them  to  come  to  the  ivatersy  where  they  may  buy  ivith- 
out  money  and  ivithoui  price.  The  right  which  any 
one  has  to  come  into  covenant,  and  to  take  and  use  the 
privileges  of  the  church,  doth  not  arise  from  any  ho- 
liness or  worthiness  that  is  in  them  ;  but  from  the 
free  gift  of  sovereign  grace.  And  if  it  is  the  sove- 
reign pleasure  of  God  to  grant  liberty  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  means  of  grace,  and  all  church  privileges, 
to  the  chief  of  sinners,  and  the  utterly  vile,  who  is  he 
that  may  gainsay  it  ?  All  the  blessings  of  redeeming 
grace  are  to  be  sought  after  in  the  church  ;  it  is  there 
only  we  can  rationally  hope  and  pray  that  God  would 
meet  with  us,  and  bless  us.  But  when  we  turn  our 
back  upon  the  church,  and  neglect  the  privileges  of  its 
communion  ;  we  do,  in  just  construction,  turn  our 
back  upon  God,  and  all  the  blessings  of  his  grace. 
We  therein  act  like  Cain,  who  went  out  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord.  And  if  we,  like  profane  Esau, 
despise  our  birth-right,  it  is  but  equal  that  we  are 
like  him  rejected.  It  then  surely  concerns  us  to 
liearken  to  the  rich  grace  of  God  who  invites  us  into 
the  number  of  his  children,  to  give  us  a  place  in  his 
family,  and  a  seat  at  his  table.  We  have  abundant 
yeason  to  admire  divine  goodness  in  layi7tg  meat  unto 
js,  with  this  gracious  promise  to  his  church  :  "  I 
will  abundantly  bless  her  provision  :  I  will  satisfy  her 
poor  with  bread.^ 

Consider  further,  it  is  not  a  matter  left  to  our  choice 
"whether  we  will  attend  on  this  mstitution  or  not ;  but 
it  is  made  our  indispensable  duty  by  the  express  com- 
/»and  oij^hnsi^     The  Lord's  supper  is  an  ordinance 


22S 

that  succeeds  in  the  gospel  church,  to  the  passover 
in  the  church  of  Israel.  I.  Cor.  v,  7,  8.  T/jcn  it  was 
expressly  required  to  cut  off  every  one  that  should 
neglect  to  keep  the  passover  in  its  appointed  season. 
Num.  ix.  13.  And  this  is  a  rule  that  ought  nozv  to  take 
place  in  the  church  ;  and  would  be  put  in  praclicci 
were  it  not  for  our  criminal  neglect  of  church  disci- 
pline. I  therefore  can  see  no  room  for  any  such  to 
hope  for  salvation  in  the  future  state,  who  neglect 
and  refuse  to  attend  on  this  institution  of  Christ. 
For  who  can  suppose  Christ  would  require  any  to 
be  cut  off  from  his  church  in  this  life,  for  a  matter 
for  which  he  will  not  exclude  them  from  heaven  in 
the  day  of  judgment  '.  And  those  words  of  our  Sav- 
ior are  ^ery  applicable  in  this  case,  John  vi.  53,  "  Ver- 
ily, verily  I  say  unto  you,  except  ye  eat  the  fiesh  of 
the  Son  of  man,  and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have  no  life 
in  you/'  Here  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  our  Lord 
useth  a  double  asseveration,  "  -verily^  -verily^^^  there- 
by to  engage  our  more  special  attention  and  regard 
to  the  truth  which,  in  this  solemn  manner,  he  de- 
clares to  us.  Indeed  I  grant,  our  Lord  had  no  refer- 
ence to  the  supper,  when  he  spoke  these  words,  for 
this  ordinance  was  not  then  instituted.  But  when 
our  Lord  did  institute  this  ordinance,  it  was  manifest- 
ly his  design  that  we  theiein  should  eat  his  flesh,  and 
drink  his  blood,  of  which  he  here  speaks  ;  and  a  due 
attendance  on  this  ordinance  is  the  instituted  way  in 
which  this  duty  is  to  be  performed.  And  for  us  to 
suppose  that  we  can  eat  his  flesh,  and  drink  his  blood, 
so  as  to  live  by  him,  by  some  private  actings  of  faith, 
not  exercised  and  expressed  in  his  own  appointed 
way,  is  at  once  to  set  aside  his  authority,  and  to  make 
ourselves  wiser  than  he.  Herein  we  act  over  the 
same  sinful  conduct  of  the  pharisees,  in  the  contempt 
they  cast  upon  John's*  baptism.  Luke  vii.  30.  "  The 
Pharisees  and  lawyers  rejected  the  counsel  of  God 
against  themselves,  being  not  baptized  of  him.** 

Some   perhaps  will  say,   I   make  a  partaking  of 
gospel  ordinances  too  essential  to  salvation.     But 


224 

wherein  ?    Let  us  attend  to  the  tenor  of  that  promise 
of  Salvation,  Mark  xvi.  16.     "  He  that  believeth  and 
is  baptized,  shall  be  saved  ;  but  he  that  believeth  not, 
shall  be  damned  '*     It  is  here  manifest,  that  we  must 
be  baptized  as  v/ell  as  believe,  that  we  may  be  inter- 
ested in  this  promise.     Indeed  baptism  is  not  taken 
into  the  threatening,  "  He  that  believeth  not,  shall  be 
damned.'*     Where  God  in   his  providence  has  put 
the  enjoyment  of  gospel  ordinances  out  of  our  reach, 
it  may  be  hoped,  that  if  there  be  a  willing  mind,  it 
shall  be  accepted  according  to  what  a  man  hath,  not 
according  to  what  he  hath  not.     But  what  is  this  to 
the  case  of  those  who  have  gospel  privileges  at  their 
doors,  and   continue  to  treat  them  with  open  neglect 
and  contempt  ?  I  confess,  I  can  see  noway  pointed  out 
in  the  gospel,  for  such  to  hope  to  be  saved.     Indeed, 
■what  allowances  our  merciful  Savior  will  make  for 
weak  and  tender  consciences,  en  account  of  those 
many  stumbling  blocks  that  have  been  thrown  in  their 
way,  we  cannot  tell.     When  I  consider  the  many 
books  which  have   been  published,  the   pains  which 
have  been  taken,  and  the  plausible  arguments  which 
have  been  used  to  deter  people  from  their  duty,  their 
conduct  does  not  appear  so  strange  ;  especially  when 
I  also  attend  to  the  practice  of  these  churches  in   re- 
ceiving persons  to  their  communion,  not  at  the  door 
of  Christ's   institutions  ;    but    compelling   them   to 
climb  up  some  other  way,  on  ladders  of  personal  pro- 
fessions, and  verbal  covenanting,  of  their  own  devis- 
ing ;  which  naturally  tends  to  make  common  people? 
who  generally  form  their  sentiments  more  from  com- 
monly received  customs,  than  doctrinal  instructions, 
to  imagine  that  none  must  come  there  but  such  as 
are  well  satisfied  of  their  gracious  stale.     Jeroboam's 
sinful  conduct  was  often  stigmatized,  many  genera- 
tions after  his  death,  by  the  remark  that  Israel  con- 
tinued to  walk  in  the  wayb  of  Jeroboam  the   son  of 
Nabat,  who  made  Israel  to  sin.     And  this  practice  of 
neglecting  to  attend  on  this  ordinance,  and  of  exclu- 
ding the  infant  seed  of  the  church  from  the  privile- 


225 

ges  of  its  communioi^  cannot  be  justified  by  the  cxs- 
ample  of  the  church,  of  a  thousand  years  continu- 
ance, through  the  ages  of  popish  darkness. 

I  am  sensible  what  I  am  here  pleading  for,  will 
have  to  combat  with  abundance  of  popular  prejudice. 
For  I  have  found  it  not  an  easy  thing  to  bring  my 
own  mind  fully  to  give  in  to  the  conviction  of  the 
light  of  truth,  in  opposition  to  the  prejudices  and  pre- 
possessions which  1  have  labored  under.  But  if  peo- 
ple would  be  persuaded  to  look  candidly  into  the  mat- 
ter, and  be  v/illing  to  be  guided  only  by  scripture 
light ;  I  fully  believe  they  would  see  the  reasons  I 
have  offered  abundantly  sufficient  to  confirm  what  I 
am  pleailing  for.  I  have  had  this  matter  under  close 
and  serious  examination  for  about  fifteen  years,  in 
the  most  mature  part  of  life  ;  so  that  the  sentiments 
in  which  I  am  now  settled,  cannot  be  the  ebullitions 
of  youth,  nor  the  dotages  of  superannuation.  And  as 
I  ajjproach  towards  the  verge  of  life,*  I  v/ould  leave 
tills  as  my  dying  testimony  to  these  churches,  of  the 
absolute  necessity  of  a  reformation,  that  they  may  en- 
joy more  of  Christ's  presence  with  them.  Yet  I 
have  little  expectation  of  success,  because  1  appre- 
hend that  prophesy  is  not  yet  fully  accomplished,  Rev. 
xi.  2.  "  But  the  court  which  is  without  the  temple, 
C the  external  form  of  the  -vidble  church)  leave  out^ 
and  measure  it  not ;  for  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles  i 
and  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and 
two  months." 

But  it  such  arguments  will  not  prevail,  especially 
%yith  such  as  are  already  in  the  church,  and  laid  under 
tlie  bonds  of  the  covenant  by  baptism,  to  come  for- 
ward and  use  the  privileges,  and  take  the  blessings 
which  God  thus  graciously  lays  before  them,  they 
must  even  abide  the  consequences.  Yet  let  me  fur- 
ther urge  this  matter  with  these  twq  considerations. 

1 .  Consider  that  the  religious  exercises  observed 
by  the  church,  have  a  natural  tendency  to  promote 

*  These  things  were  chiefly  written  when  the  author  vr?8 
between  fifty  and  sixty  years  of  age. 


225 

religion  in  our  hearts  ;  and  not  only  so,  but  they  are 
the  means  which  God  hath  appointed  for  this  very 
purpose.  The  rich  grace  of  God  in  taking  sinners 
into  a  covenant  relation  to  himself,  is  a  persuasive 
consideration,  and  a  powerful  motive  to  lead  them  to 
repentance.  Thus  Moses  urgcth  this  argument  upon 
the  children  of  Israel.  Deut.  15,  16.  <' Only  the 
Lord  had  a  delight  in  thy  fathers  to  love  them,  and 
he  chose  their  seed  after  them,  even  you  above  all 
people,  as  it  is  this  day.  Circumcise  therefore  the 
foreskin  of  your  heart,  and  be  no  more  stiff-necked." 
Our  being  in  covenant  not  only  lays  us  under  strong 
obligations  to  repent,  but  it  is  appointed  as  a  means 
to  bring  us  to  it.  In  like  manner  the  apostle  also 
urgeth  the  duty  of  repentance  upon  the  Jews,  with 
the  same  argument.  Acts  iii.  19.  ''  Repent  ye 
therefore,'*  kc.  alledging  as  a  motive  to  it,  in  the 
25 ih  verse,  "  Ye  are  the  children  of  the  prophets, 
and  of  the  covenant  which  God  made  with  our  fa- 
thers.'' According  to  this  tenor  and  tendency  of  the 
covenant,  the  prophet  expostulates  with  the  ten  tribes 
of  Israel,  after  they  had  been  for  many  years  as  it 
were,  cast  out  from  the  presence  of  God,  in  a  state 
of  captivity  among  the  heathen,  Jcr.  iii.  1.  "They 
Sciy,  if  a  man  put  away  his  wife,  and  she  go  from  him 
and  become  another  man's,  shall  he  return  unto  her 
again  ?  shall  not  that  land  be  greatly  polluted  ?  But 
thou  hast  played  the  harlot  with  many  lovers  ;  yet 
return  again  to  me,  saith  the  Lord."  And  in  the  14th 
verse.  "  Turn  O  backsliding  children,  saith  the 
Lord,  for  I  am  married  unto  you."  And  in  the  22d 
verse,  they  are  represented  as  being  prevailed  upon 
to  return,  and  improving  their  covenant  interest  in 
God,  in  their  prayers,  pleading  it  as  an  argument  for 
their  recovery  and  reception,  "  Return  ye  backsli- 
ding children,  and  I  will  heal  your  backslidinpjs  :  be- 
hold, we  come  unto  tiiee,  for  thou  art  the  Lord  our 
God.'*  And  God  lath  declared  his  gracious  readiness 
to  barken  to  the  cries  of  such  sinners,  bemoaning  their 
condition.  Jer.  xxxi.    18.      "I   have  surely    heard 


^^i7 

Kphraim  bemoaning  himself  thus.  Thou  hast  clias- 
tised  me,  and  I  was  chastised,  as  a  bullock  unaccus*' 
tomed  tothe  yoke :  turn  thou  me,  and  I  shall  be  turned  ; 
for  thou  art  the  Lord  my  God."  And  it  is  thus  the 
prophet  teacheth  us  to  plead  our  covenant  interest  in 
God.  Isai.  Ixiv.  9.  "Be  not  wroth  very  sore,  O  Lord, 
neither  remember  iniquity  forever  :  behold,  see  we 
beseech  thee,  we  are  all  thy  people. 

Thus  the  bonds  of  the  covenant  of  our  God  being 
upon  us,  very  strongly  oblige  us  to  repent ;  and  the 
great  and  undeserved  favoi  of  God  in  taking  us  into  cov- 
enant, assures  us  of  his  gracious  readiness  to  receive 
repenting  and  returning  sinners,  which  greatly  tends 
to  draw  us  to  repentance.  And  our  holding  com- 
munion with  the  visible  church  in  gospel  ordinances, 
is  the  way  to  keep  up  the  attention  of  our  minds  to 
divine  things,  to  excite  religious  affections  in  the 
heart,  and  to  draw  the  soul  to  a  cordial  compliance 
with  the  way  of  life.  The  privileges  of  church  fel- 
lowship have  not  only  a  tendency  to  these  things  in 
their  own  nature,  but  they  are  the  appointments  of 
God  for  these  very  purposes :  and  connected  with 
them  is  the  promise  of  the  influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  render  them  effectual  on  the  heart,  for  the 
production  of  these  effects  among  the  covenant  peo- 
ple of  God,  as  has  been  fully  proved.  Very  strongly 
then  do  these  considerations  urge  the  duty  of  coming; 
forward,  and  improving  the  privileges  of  the  church, 
upon  all  such  especially  as  are  laid  iinder  the  bonds 
of  the  covenant  by  baptism. 

2.  Our  coming  forward  in  the  improvement  of  the 
privileg-es  of  the  church,  is  the  way  to  secure  great 
privileges  and  blessings  to  our  children,  and  to  trans- 
mit them  to  rising  generations.  If  we  desire  God 
should  be  our  God,  and  the  God  of  our  seed  alter  us, 
we  must  embrace  this  covenant  in  which  this  bles- 
sing is  promised.  A  regard  to  our  childien's  good, 
as  well  as  to  our  own,  should  influence  us  in  this  case. 
Indeed,  to  seek  the  privileges  of  the  covenant  mere- 
ly for  the  sake  of  having  our  children  baptized,  (aud 


228 

Vii&t  perhaps  chiefly  because  it  is  looked  upon  as  re- 
putable among  men)  is  not  the  best  of  motives  ;   yea, 
such  as  herein  act  only  from  such   views,  are  very 
criminal  in  overlooking  motive's  of  the  greatest  im» 
portance,  and  regarding  only  the   less.      But  still, 
this  is  a  motive  which  ought  to  have  its  due  weight 
•with  us,  to  quicken  us  to  take  hold  of  God's  coven- 
ant, and  to  use  diligence  and  faithfulness  in  impro- 
ving all  covenant  privileges,  j^hat  we  may  transmit 
ihem  to  our  children  after  us  ;  and  in  that  way,  dis- 
charge our  duty  to  Christ,  as  well  as  to  our  children, 
in  contributing  our  part  towards  the  support,  preser- 
vation and  propagation  of  his  kingdom  in  the  world. 
"Were  it  not  proper  that  a  regard  to  the  good  of  our 
children  should  have  its  influence  upon  us,  inclining 
us  to  covenant  faithfulness,  God  would  not  have  so 
often  used  it  as  an  argument  with  his  people,  to  this 
purpose,  as  we  find  he  has  done.  Deut.  iv.  40.  "  Thou 
shak  keep  therefore  his  statutes  and  his  commund- 
Bients  which  1  command  thee  this  day,  that  it  may 
go  well  with  thee,  and  with  thy  children  after  thee.'' 
Deut.  v.  29.     "  O  that  there  were  such  an  heart  in 
them,  that  they  would  fear  me,  and  keep  my  com- 
mandments always,  that  it  might  be  well  with  them, 
and  with  their  children  forever.'*  Deut.  xxx.  19.  "I 
eall  heaven  and  earth  to  record  this  day  against  you, 
that  I  have  set  before  you  life  and  death,  blessing  and 
cursing  :  therefore  choose  life,  that  both  thou  and  thy 
seed  may  live."    Thus  we  see  God  urgeth  his  people 
to  covenant  faithfulness,  both  for  their  own  sake,  and 
for  the  sake  of  their  children.    The  rich  grace  of  God 
manifested  in  his  covenant,  by  jiis  promise  to  be  our 
God,  and  the  God  of  our  seed  after  us,  is  an  argu- 
ment to  quicken  us  to  duty  v/bich  is  directly  adapted 
'tf>'move  and  influence  our  parental  affections,  that 
every  spi-ing  of  action  in  our  nature  may  be  consecra- 
ted to  the  purpose  of  religion.     Our  love  to  our  chil- 
dren is  thus  irt^proved  by  divine  wisdom  and  grace, 
to  engage  us  to  prizd  and  improve  the  privileges  of 
this  covenant,  because  wc  there  see  that  grace  is  Jaid 


ii\  beforehand  in  stoio  for  them.  God  haLa  made 
provision  for  them,  ihat  they  should  be  born  in  bis 
liouse,  and  broughl  np  in  his  family,  under  the  best, 
advantages,  and  fairest  prospects  of  obtaining  eternal 
life.  This  gives  parents  a  comfortable  prospect  for 
their  children.  If  v/e  view  them  only  as  an  increase 
of  sinful  men,  who  come  into  the  world  under  the 
ruins  of  the  fall,  we  shall  have  such  a  dark  and  mel- 
ancholy prospect  concerning  them,  as  might  reason- 
ably stifle  the  desire  of  having  children.  But  by  at- 
tending to  the  tenor  of  the  covenant  of  promise  we  are 
taught  to  view  them  in  another  light,  and  under  an- 
other character ;  as  born  under  the  covenant  of  grace, 
as  God's  children  by  adoption,  and  as  heirs  of  many 
valuable  privileges  and  promises.  If  they  die  in 
childhood,  I  know  of  no  reason  why  we  may  not  sup- 
pose it  is  well  with  them  :  or  if  they  live  to  grow  up, 
we  liave  grounds  of  hope  they  shall  reap  the  beneht 
of  the  privileges  of  the  covenant  for  their  salvation. 
The  many  gracious  promises  of  the  covenant  are  a 
strong  foundation  for  the  faith  of  parents  to  rest  upon, 
and  to  improve  in  their  supplication  at  the  throne  of 
grace  for  their  children.  These  promises  likewise 
afford  great  encouragement  to  take  special  pains  in 
their  education,  in  hopes  that  their  endeavors  to  bring 
them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord, 
shall  not  be  in  vain  ;  but  that,  whilst  they  are  endeav- 
oring to  instruct  them,  and  to  lead  them  forward  to 
know  and  acknowledge  their  covenant  God,  he  will 
pouF  out  his  spirit  upon  them  in  his  saving  influen- 
■ces. 


m 


!250 


THE  CONCLUSION. 

THE  ruin  and  recovery  of  man,  appear  From  what 
has  been  offered,  to  be  properly  ascribed  to  Adam, 
and  Christ.  As  Adam  was  the  head  and  leader  of 
the  apostacy  of  the  human  race,  so  is  Christ  the  head 
and  author  of  their  recovery.  And  by  attending  to 
the  glorious  characters  under  which  the  Son  of  God  is 
revealed  in  the  gospel,  it  appears  that  he  stands  in 
various  relations  to  different  denominations  of  the- 
children  of  men  ;  and  they  accordingly  are  different- 
ly interested  in  him,  and  receive  very  different  privi- 
leges and  blessings  from  him.  Christ  is  in  some 
sense  a  covenant  head,  Savior  and  Redeemer  to  the 
"whole  human  race  ;  and  they  receive  from  him  in 
these  relations,  the  present  life,  with  all  the  comforts 
and  enjoyments  of  it.  But  Christ  in  all  his  offices, 
is  more  nearly  related  to  his  visible  church  and  cov- 
enant people,  than  to  the  rest  of  the  world  ;  and  they 
receive  from  him  the  more  valuable  privileges  of 
divine  revelation,  with  the  means  of  grace,  and  pe- 
culiar advantages  for  \\orking  out  their  salvation. 
And  ab  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  more  nearly  related, 
and  more  closely  connected  with  his  visible  church, 
than  he  is  to  the  rest  of  mankind  ;  so  he  is  connect- 
ed more  closely  still  to  his  spiritual  body  of  true  be- 
lievers, with  whom  the  treaty  of  peace  is  happily 
concluded,  in  their  being  brought  to  a  saving  union 
with  him  by  faith  ;  in  consequence  of  which  they 
have  obtained  a  sure  title  to  eternal  life. 

Careful  inspection  into  the  character  and  offices  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  not  only  discovers  tliese  va- 
rious connexions  with  the  different  denominations  of 
mankind  ;  but  we  may  also  here  discover  him  in 
some  connexions  which  surpass  the  human  species, 
and  take  in  the  angelic  world  ;  yea-  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  the  intellectual  creation.  For  it  is  declared  to 
be  the  good  pleasure  of  God,  "  That  in  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  fnJiness  ol  limes,  he  might  gather  togethev 


i231 

in  one,  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which  arc  in  hcav* 
en,  and  which  are  on  earth."     Eph.  i.  10. 

It  evidently  appears  in  the  gospel  plun,  that  the 
safety,  blessedness  and  glory  of  men,  consist  in,  and 
flow  out  from  their  union  with  the  blessed  God  ;  a 
foundation  for  which  is  laid  in  the  union  of  the  divine 
and  human  nature  in  the  Son  of  God.  And  as  the 
safety,  glory  and  blessedness  of  men  consist  in  thisj 
so  this  must  also  necessarily  be  the  case  with  the 
whole  intelligent  created  system,  so  far  as  we  are 
able  to  judge  of  it  :  union  with  their  Creator  seems 
necessary  in  the  nature  of  things,  to  theii'  safety  and 
blessedness.  And  the  Son  of  God  appears  plainly 
pointed  out,  as  the  person  in  and  by  whom  this  union 
Li  accomplished.  He  seems  to  be  the  Medi-itor  of 
access  to  God,  and  of  divine  communications  from 
him,  even  to  the  angels  of  light,  who  are  gathered  to- 
gether into  one,  in  him,  as  weU  as  to  the  children  of 
men.  Indeed,  the  tenor  and  form  of  the  union  of  the 
angelic  world  with  the  Son  of  God,  is  not  so  express- 
ly set  forth  in  the  gospel,  as  is  that  of  mankind  ;  doubt- 
less there  may  be  a  great  variety  with  respect  to 
tliat,  among  the  different  ranks  of  beings;  but  that 
they  are  somehow  united  to  Christ,  and  to  God  thro' 
him,  is  manifestly  a  doctrine  taught  in  the  gospel. 
This  is  represented  in  forccited  Eph.  i.  10,  where 
we  arc  told  of  the  purpose  «f  God  ''  to  gather  to- 
(^ether  in  one,  all  things  in  Christ."  And  of  the  like 
import  is  that  hi  the  20 — 23d  verses,  where  we  are 
told  that  "  God  raised  him  from  the  dead,  and  set 
him  at  his  own  right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places,  far 
y.bove  all  principality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  do- 
minion, and  every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  ia 
tide  world,  but  also  in  that  which  is  to  come  :  and 
hath  put  iill  things  under  his  feet,  and  gave  him  to  be 
bead  over  all  things  to  his  church,  which  is  his  body, 
the  fulness  of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all.  Eph.  iv.  10, 
^  He  that  descended  is  the  same  that  also  ascended 
up  far  above  all  heavens,  that  he  might  fill  all  things." 
rhilip.  ii.  9r  10^   1).    *'  Wherefore  God  also  hat^ 


232 

iiighly  exalted  him,  and  given  him  a  pame  which  is 
above  every  name  ;  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every 
knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  on 
earth,  and  things  under  the  earth  ;  and  that  eveiy 
tongue  should  confess,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to 
the  glory  of  God  the  Father."  Colos.  i.  15,16,17, 
*'  Who  is  the  image  of  the  invisible  God,  the  first 
born  of  every  creature  :  for  by  him  were  all  things 
created  that  are  in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth,  visi- 
ble and  invisible,  whether  they  be  thrones,  or  domin- 
ions, or  principalities,  or  powers  :  all  thmgs  were 
ereated  by  him  and  for  him  ;  and  he  is  before  all 
things  and  by  him  all  things  consist."  And  verse, 
20.  **  By  him  to  reconcile  all  things  to  himself, 
by  him,  I  say,  whether  they  be  things  in  heaven, 
or  thines  in  earth."  Heb.  i.  2,  S.  '^  Hath  in 
tlicse  last  days  spoken  unto  us  by  his  son,  whom  he 
hath  appointed  heir  of  all  things,  by  whom  also  he 
made  the  w^orlds.  Who  being  the  brightness  of  his 
glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person,  and  up- 
holding all  things  by  the  word  of  his  power." 

Thus  we  have  the  apostolic  representation  of  this 
wonderful  and  glorious  connextion  and  union  of  the 
whole  intelligent  system  with  our  exalted  Savior,  who 
is  the  mysterious  person  in  whom  the  whole  intelli- 
gent creation  are  united  to  God  as  the  foundation  of 
their  safety  and  blessecness.  How  the  Creator  and 
the  creature,  between  whose  natures  there  is  such  an 
infinite  distance,  shall  be  brought  into  a  state  of  such 
a  close  and  intimate  union  as  should  be  an  effectual 
security  of  safety,  and  source  of  blessedness  to  the 
creature,  is  beyond  fiiiitc  understanding  to  discover. 
And  that  the  son  of  God,  who  is  ou?'  Redecmel* 
should  be  the  person,  in  and  by  whom  this  union  with 
God,  of  all  rational,  created  beings,  should  be  brought 
about,  should  render  him  glorious  in  our  eyes,  and 
precious  to  our  hearts. 

And  if  such  a  Mediator  of  access  to  God  is,  in  the 
nature  of  things,  necessary  to  fill  up  that  infinite  dis- 
tance between  the  Creator  and  the  creature,  and  bring 
about  that  union  of  the  creature  to  God  which  is  ne- 


133 

ircssaiy  to  their  saicty  and  blessedness,  as  is  clearly 
intimated  and  implied  in  the  foregoing  glorious  and 
exalted  character  of  the  Son  of  God  ;  it  v\ill  be  neces- 
sary to  allow,  that  the  case  of  Adam,  in  the  state  in 
\vhich  he  was  ci'eated,  did  require  such  a  ^Icdiator^ 
as  well  as  the  rest  of  the  intelligent  creation  ;  and  that 
the  discovery  of  the  Son  of  God  in  this  character,  was 
included  in  that  covenant  dispensation  which  he  was 
placed  under.  The  record  which  Moses  hath  made 
of  this  first  covenant  dispensation  is  so  very  concise, 
that  we  are  unable  positively  to  say  whether  it  con- 
tained any  discovery  of  such  a  Mediator,  or  not :  yet 
there  are  some  things  in  the  sacred  scripture,  (as  1 
^hall  show  presently,)  referring  to  that  dispensation, 
.which  very  naturally  intimate  such  a  discovery  as  be- 
ing contained  in  it.  Indeed,  if  the  Son  of  God  was  re- 
vealed to  Adam  in  the  first  covenant,  as  a  Mediator  of 
access  to  God  ;  yet  v,e  cannot  suppose  him  to  be  then 
revealed  in  such  a  character,  clothed  with  such  offi- 
ces, and  having  such  work  assigned  Iiim,  as  were  af- 
terward necessary  to  his  redeeming  fallen,  sinful  man. 
These  thingo  became  necessary  to  him  that  he  might 
save  sinners.  But  Adam  might  see  the  necessity  of  a 
Mediator  of  access  to  God,  although  his  then  present 
state  did  not  require  a  iNIediator  with  such  characters 
as  were  necessary  to  save  from  sin.  The  Son  of  God 
is  said  to  be,  "  The  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory, 
and  the  express  image  of  his  person  ;*'  but  I  cannot 
see  how  he  should  acquire  such  a  character  by  his  in- 
carnation and  sufferings  :  doubtless  this  character  be- 
longed to  him  before  he  was  manifested  in  the  flesh. 
His  glory  was  eclipsed,  or  as  it  were,  veiled,  when 
he  took  flesh  upon  him.  But  when  he  was  about  to 
finish  the  eccne  of  his  humiliation,  we  find  him  pray- 
ing to  be  restored  to  the  glory  Avhich  he  had  with  the 
Father  before  the  world  wns  John  xvii.  5.  Which  glo- 
ry, it  is  natural  for  Us  to  understand  to  be  that,  on  cic- 
count  of  which  he  is  said  to  be  the  brightness  of  the 
Father's  glory,  and  express  image  of  his  person. 
Perhaos,  no  created  mind  was  capv\ble  to  discover  the 
20* 


234 

uncreated  glory  of  the  deity,  and  obtain  the  vital  knowl- 
edge of,  and  union  to  him,  without  such  a  mirror,  or 
Mediator  of  access. 

The  introduction  of  moral  evil  into  the  system  has 
been  supposed  by  some,  to  be  necessary  to  the  full 
display  of  the  divine  glory  :  but  of  this,  I  can  see  no 
necessity.  I  grant,  the  glory  of  God  in  pardoning 
sin,  never  could  have  been  manifested  by  any  exerci- 
ses of  it,  if  there  never  had  been  any  sin  to  pardon. 
But  to  infer  from  this,  the  necessity  of  introducing 
sin  ;  and  even  to  impute  its  production  to  the  divine 
agency,  is  a  very  bold  assertion,  which,  instead  of  ex- 
alting, doth  greatly  debase  the  divine  chamcter.  For 
it  is  a  very  puerile  exploit  to  make  a  noble  machine, 
and  then  throw  it  into  confusion,  for  the  sake  of  shew- 
ing one's  dexterity  in  reducing  it  again  to  order. 
JVone  but  a  madman  will  cast  about  Jire-brandst  ar- 
rows  and  death  ;  and  say,  am  I  not  in  sfiort  ? 

It  is  not  the  introduction  of  moral  evil ;  but  the  mys- 
terious union  of  the  created  and  uncreated  nature  in 
the  person  of  the  Son  of  God,  that  is  the  device  of  di- 
vine wisdom  to  enable  created  intelligences  to  behold 
the  glory  of  the  God-head  :  which  might  have  as  well 
been  brought  about,  if  sin  had  never  taken  place  in 
the  system  ;  and  which  was  most  probably  the  case 
before  sin,  or  even  any  creature  existed,  except  he 
who  was  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God.  I  see 
not  why  the  introduction  of  moral  evil  may  not  be  sat- 
isfactorily accounted  for,  from  the  necessarily  limited 
and  mutable  nature  of  created  beings  ;  especially 
when  such  are  put  into  a  state  of  trial,  which  necessa- 
rily implies  a  possibility  of  sinning,  because  without 
a  possibility  of  it  there  could  be  no  trial  of  the  obe- 
dience of  the  creature.  When  Adam  was  set  a  pro- 
bationer under  the  first  covenant,  his  security  a- 
gainst  sinning  must  be  the  strength  and  stability 
of  his  own  nature  :  otherwise  his  fidelity  would  not 
have  been  tried.  In  like  manner  also  when  the  Son 
of  God  stood  a  probationer  under  the  second  covenant, 
there  was  no  security  that  he  should  not  sin,  but  wha^ 
arose  from  his  own  divine  strength  and  immutabilits* 


23S 

There  was  notliin.^  in  the  constitution  he  was  un-, 
tier,  nor  in  the  nature  or  cu'cumstunces  of  his  trials,  to 
prevent  it.  But  mere  created  nature  must  necessai  'r? 
ly  be  liable  to  sin  when  put  into  a  state  of  probation. 
These  remarks  show  there  is  no  need  of  supposing 
the  divine  agency  in  bringing-  moral  evil  into  tho 
system.  And  although  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
God  appear  in  overrulin.^  sin,  and  bringing  good  out 
of  evil  ;  yet  this  not  at  all  in:iplies  any  necessity  of  in* 
troducing  sin,  that  the  glory  of  God  might  be  made 
manifest. 

What  would  have  been  the  case  if  sin  had  never 
been  committed,  is  a  matter  of  v/hich  we  are  very  in- 
competent  judges.  For  the  discoveries  which  God 
hath  been  pleased  to  make  of  himself  to  us,  are  such 
us  are  suitable  to  be  made  to  such  creatures  as  we 
^re,  in  our  present  state  ;  which  are  sufficient  to  ena- 
ble us  to  obtain  the  saving  knowledge  of  himself  :  but 
whether  his  glory  would  not  have  been  as  fully  dis- 
played, if  sin  had  never  been  committed,  is  what  we 
cannot  determine.  This  however  we  may  see,  that 
God  hath  wisely  suited  the  dispensadon  of  his  grace 
.  to  the  needy  circumstances  of  fallen  man  ;  the  pecu- 
liar excellency  of  which  is  the  method  thereby  laid 
open  for  our  being  brought  into  such  a  state  of  union 
to  Christ,  and  to  God  through  him,  as  will  be  an  effec- 
tual security  of  our  glory,  blessedness,  and  everlasting 
safety.  Indeed,  the  first  covenant  was  equitable,  wise 
and  gracious ;  and  the  only  objection  we  can  have  ag?dnst 
it,  with  any  color  of  plausibility,  was  God's  including 
Adam's  seed  Mith  him,  whereby  they  should  be  Uabic 
to  ruin  by  his  misconduct.  But  this  objection  is,  in  a 
great  measure,  removed  by  this  consideration.  That 
if  the  curse  of  the  first  covenant  had  been  executed 
upon  him  according  to  the  tenor  of  the  covenant,  he 
■never  Mould  have  had  any  seed  actually  existing,  to 
hz  involved  in  ruin  by  it.  And  when  we  consi4er  that 
the  safety,  glory  and  blessedness  of  the  creature  con- 
sist in,  or  result  from  union  with  God  ;  it  may  sug- 
gest the  proper  reason  of  the  divine  procedure.,  and 
20  *  * 


me 

show  the  necessity  of  constituting  such  a  union  be- 
tween Adam  and  his  natural  seed.  For  in  the  second 
covenant,  we  very  readily  see  a  necessity  of  our  being 
united  to  our  new  covenant  head,  that  he  might  bring 
\is  to  God.  And  we  have  reason  to  suppose  there 
was  the  same  necessity  of  our  being  in  a  state  of 
union  with  our  covenant  head  in  the  first  covenant. 
We  find  it  is  now,  the  plainly  revealed  purpose  of  God, 
to  gather  together  in  one,  all  things  in  Christ,  both 
which  are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth  ;  doubtless 
because  the  case  of  created  nature  requires  such  a  Me- 
diator of  access  to  God,  in  order  to  communion  with 
liim,  and  the  participation  of  complete  blessedness  in 
the  transcendent  perfections  of  the  uncreated  God- 
head. And  if  this  is  the  case,  as  it  appears  to  be  from 
the  best  light  we  can  get  in  the  matter,  it  must  be 
conceded  that  this  Son  of  God,  this  Mediator  of  access 
to  God,  was  necessary  to  man,  in  his  first  estate,  and 
that  the  revelation  of  it  was  made  to  Adam  in  the 
covenant  made  with  him.  And  this  Avill  give  us 
great  reason  to  conclude,  the  union  constituted  be- 
tween Adam  and  his  seed,  in  the  first  covenant,  was 
a  wise,  and  even  necessary  appointment  for"* bring- 
ing about  our  necessary  union  with  God,  through 
this  Mediator  of  access,  if  Adam  had  preserved  his 
integrity;  but  through  his  failure,  this  union  brought 
on  our  ruin. 

With  respect  to  the  necessity  and  usefulness  of 
that  federal  union  which  God  ordained  in  the  first  co- 
Tenant,  between  Adam  and  his  seed,  something  may 
be  argued  from  the  natural  union  Trhich  subsists 
among  them.  It  was  equally  easy  to  almighty  pov/er 
o  have  made  each  individual  of  the  human  race,  at 
the  same  time,  and  in  the  same  manner  as  he  did 
Adam  ;  in  which  case,  there  would  have  been  no  na- 
tural union  among  them.  But  we  see,  unerring  v/is- 
dom  judged  it  best  that  mankind  should  come  into 
existence  in  a  state  of  natural  union,  by  the  course  of 
ordinary  generation.  And  as  to  the  slate  of  mankmd 
in  thifi  world,  much  of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 


^37 

God  appears  In  it,  in  that  this  natural  union  many  vVaVs 
serves  to  promote  our  usefulness,  and  to  add  to  the 
delight  and  satisfaction  of  life  And  the  nature  of  mam 
requires  a  moral,  as  well  as  a  natural  union  among^ 
them.  This  appears  not  only  from  our  need  of  mu- 
tual protection  and  defence,  in  our  present  fallen 
state  ;  but  also  from  the  sociable  tendency  of  our  na- 
ture in  its  primitive  state.  But  it  is  evident,  God,  in 
the  formation  of  our  nature,  and  in  ordering  our  con- 
dition, had  a  higher  and  more  noble  end  in  view, 
than  any  thing  of  a  \Torldly  nature  ;  even  our  union  to 
and  communion  with  himself.  And  this  natural  any 
moral  union  which  is  so  conducive  to  our  present  hap- 
piness, we  have  reason  to  suppose,  was  equally  adapt- 
ed to  serve  and  promote  our  better  and  more  noble 
end.  Nor  is  this  a  mere  rational  conjecture,  bu^  it  is 
much  countenanced  by  divine  revelation.  This  is 
not  a  little  countenanced  by  the  manifest  necessity 
of  our  being  united  to  our  neVv'  covenant  head,  which 
strongly  im])Iies,  there  was  a  like  necessity  of  our 
union  with  the  first  Adam,  in  order  to  our  commun- 
ion with  God.  That  our  natiu'al  union  was  intended 
to  stibserve  this  purpose  is  plainly  contained  in  the 
reason  which  the  prophet  assigns  why  God  made  but 
one  at  first*  to  be  the  root  of  mankind,  and  chose  this 
natural  union,  in  the  course  of  ordinary  generation,  as 
the  method  to  bring  us  into  existence.  Mai.  ii.  15. 
"  And  did  he  not  make  one  ?  Yet  had  ho  the  residue 
of  the  spirit  :  and  wherefore  one  ?  That  he  might 
seek  a  Godly  seed."  1  am  sensible  the  prophet  men- 
tions this,  to  bear  trslimony  agains'",  the  practice  of 
putting  ar.-ay  their  wives  :  but  the  truth  here  laid 
tlov/n,  from  which  he  takes  his  ar^  ument,  equally  fa- 
tore  the  point  under  consideration,  and  clearly  shows 
the  reason  of  the  divine  appointment  of  the  course  of 
ordinary  generation,  wr3  a  view  at  prcrriotmg  godli- 
ness. Arid  that  our  moral  as  well  as  our  natural  un- 
ion was  originally  intcnc'sd  for  the  same  purpose,  is 
confirmed  by  the  apostle  in  his  styling  Adam  a  figure 
of  Chri«t.     Rom,  t.  14.    It  is  certain  our  union  wltk 


^3B 

tuc  second  Adam,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  b.  in  orcter 
to  our  lite  ;  and  therefore,  according  to  this  iigure? 
our  union  to  the  first  Adcim  was  intended  for  the 
same  purpose.  And  ii  is  further  to  be  observed  m 
in  tl.is  representation,  that  the  aposue  speaks  of  Adam 
in  his  primitive  state,  when  tije  first  covenant  was 
made  with  him,  and  therein  represents  him  as  a  fig- 
ure of  Christ.  But  it  is  not  easy  to  see  how  he  could 
then  be  a  figure  of  Christ,  in  the  character  of  a  Sav- 
ior of  sinners  ;  because  there  was  no  apparent  room 
before  the  fall,  for  his  coming  in  such  a  character. 
I.  therefore  seems  necessary  we  should  view  Adam, 
as  he  was  the  head  of  mankind  in  tlie  first  cov€n;int, 
to  be  figurative  of  the  Son  of  God  in  his  character  of 
a  Mediator  of  access.  And  if,  in  the  first  dispensa- 
tion, Adam  was  intended  to  be  thus  figurative  of  the 
•Son  of  God,  it  will  follow,  that  there  was  then  a  reve- 
lation of  him  ii:i  that  chmactcr,  made  to  oni-  first  pa- 
rents in  that  covenant.  Indeed,  after  the  fall,  there 
were  given  many  figures,  types  and  shadows  of 
Christ  in  the  character  of  a  Mediator  of  reconciliation 
for  the  redemption  of  sinners.  I5ut  how  the  Son  of 
God  could  be  figuratively  represented  by  Adam  inf 
the  first  covenant,  before  the  fall,  as  a  Redeemer  o 
sinnerss  has  been  a  knot  too  hard  to  be  untied  by  any 
that  have  taken  in  hand  to  wpite  upon  the  types,  in 
any  consistent  manner.  It  is  therefore  here  strongly 
implied,  tiiat  Christ  was  revealed  to  Adam  in  the 
first  covenant,  in  the  character  of  a  Mediator  of  ac- 
cess to  God  ;  and  that  the  union  which  God  had  or- 
dained between  him  and  his  seed,  in  that  dispensa- 
tion, was  appointed  to  be  a  means  of  securing  their 
vital  union  to  God  through  that  Mediator. 

The  same  may  be  likewise  inferred  from  the  rep- 
resentation of  the  tree  of  life,  as  being  figurative  of 
Christ.  Kev.  xxii.  2  The  tree  of  life  certainly  be- 
longed to  the  first  covenant,  before  there  was  any  ap- 
parent room  for  the  coming  of  Christ,  in  the  charac- 
ter of  a  Redeemer  of  sinners  :  but  it  might  be  then 
properly  ordained  to  point  to  him  in  the  chi-iracter  of 


rS9 

A  Mediator  of  access  to  God,  and  was  therefore  prop-- 
eriy  a  sacramental  test  of  obedience,  in  tiiC  first  cov- 
enant, to  Adam  and  his  seed. 

It  may  be  objected  to  these  things,  that  whatever 
difiicuhy  uu\y  attend  our  viewing  Adam  in  the  first 
covenant,  as  a  type  of  Christ  ;  yet  when  the  apostle 
styles  him  a  figure  of  him  that  wus  to  come,  he  plain- 
ly aiiudes  to  his  conung  in  the  flesh,  in  the  character 
of  a  Redeemer  of  sinners.  But  to  tliis  it  may  be  an- 
swered, the  character  given  of  Christ  in  the  gospel, 
includes  the  character  of  a  Mediator  of  access  to  God, 
as  well  as  that  of  a  Redeemer  of  sinners  ;  and  it  does 
not  appear  the  apostle  meant  to  represent  Christ  as 
figured  forth  in  Adam,  in  any  other  character  than 
that  ot  a  Mediator  of  access  ;  which  he  might  very 
consistently  improve  for  our  instruction  in  tiie  know- 
ledge of  Christ  under  the  gospel,  although  that  fig- 
ure might  properly  belong  to  the  first  covenant. 

Upon  the  whole  then,  '.vc  have  j^rcaL  reason  to  con- 
clude, the  Son  of  God  was  revealed  to  Adam  in  the 
first  covenant,  in  the  character  of  a  Mediator  of  ac- 
cess to  God  for  mankind  ;  and  that  the  covenant  un- 
ion then  ordained  between  him  and  his  seed  had  a  di- 
rect reference  to  this  Mediator  of  access,  and  was  a 
necessary  means  of  securing  both  to  Adam,  and  to 
his  seed,  that  union  to  God,  and  communion  with 
him,  so  necessary  to  the  well  being  of  mankind.  For 
although  it  does  not  now  appear  to  us,  how  that  union 
v/ith  Adam  was  to  have  operated  under  the  first  cov- 
enant, for  securing  our  vital  union  with  God,  in  so 
plain  a  light  as  we  now  see  how  our  union  with  Christ 
will  ansv/er  this  important  purpose  ;  yet  we  have 
reason  to  conclude  that  all  the  obscurity  in  these 
things,  is  because  the  way  of  life  in  the  first  covenant 
is  not  so  fully  revealed  to  us  in  the  word  of  God,  as  is 
the  way  of  life  provided  for  us  in  the  new  covenant. 

When  Adam  fell,  God  saw  fit  not  to  cut  off  the 
vvhole  human  race  by  exccutmg  the  curse  of  the  first 
covenant  ;  but  thereupon  brought  in  the  covenant  of 
grace,  whorcia  his  eternal  Son,  who  before  was  u 


240 

Mediator  of  access  to  God  for  the  whole  intelligent 
system,  was  appointed  to  become  incarnate,  and  be 
also  a  Mediator  of  reconciliation  for  fallen  man  ; 
whereby  there  was  made  room  for  the  seed  of  Adam 
to  be  born  into  a  state  of  probation  under  the  covenant 
of  grace.  If  therefore  any  will  find  fault  with  the 
procedure  of  God  with  man,  either  in  the  first  or 
second  covenant,  it  most  certainly  is  because  of  their 
own  ig-norance  of  the  true  state  of  the  case.  For  if 
the  first  covenant  with  Adam  had  been  as  fully  laid 
open  to  our  view  in  the  word  of  God,  as  is  the  second 
covenant  with  Christ,  we  should  doubtless  see  that 
the  first  covenant  was  truly  holy,  just  and  good,  ar. 
Well  as  the  second.  As  it  was  the  mediation  of 
Christ  which  prevented  the  curse  of  the  first  coven- 
ant from  taking  place  upon  Adam  in  the  day  that  he 
sinned,  and  made  way  for  his  seed  to  be  born  into  the 
vorld,  and  stand  probationers  under  the  covenant  of 
grace  ;  therefore  If  ^re  at  ail  find  fault  with  the  ways 
of  God,  it  must  be  for  putting  us  into  a  state  of  trial 
under  such  a  wise  and  gracious  dispensation  as  is  that 
of  the  covenant  of  grace. 

Accordingly  we  find  mankind  ofien  complaining 
that  God  now  requires  a  compliance  with  such  terms 
for  which  fallen  man  has  not  in  himself  sufficient  abil- 
ity. If  man  in  his  fallen  state,  had  sufficient  ability 
in  himself  to  c'ose  with  the  terms  of  reconciliation 
appointed  in  the  new  covenant,  it  seems  that  all  their 
objections  would  be  answered.  But  inasmuch  as 
they  are  dead  in  sin,  without  strength,  and  are  de- 
pendent upon  the  sovereign  grace  of  God  for  that  as- 
sistance which  shall  enable  them  to  believe  to  the 
saving  of  the  soul,  they  think  they  have  reason  to 
complain. 

But  let  us  view  the  matter  according  to  the  prece- 
ding representation  of  the  ruin  and, recovery  of  man. 
it  is  true,  man,  by  the  breach  of  the  first  covenant, 
was  totally  ruined  ;  cut  off  from  all  interest  in  God, 
and  access  to  him,  from  all  moral  dependence  upon 
hinij  and  from  all  enjoyment  of  him.    But  the  impos- 


241 

iibility  fallen  man  was  under  of  access  to  God  in  thess 
respects,  is  manifestly  removed  by  the  introduction 
of  the  covenant  of  grace-  And  as  to  the  prospect 
which  the  sinner  has,  of  obtaining  a  saving  interest 
in  Jesus  Christ,  notwithsttmding  the  impotence  of  his 
fallen  state,  there  is  no  reason  to  murmur  and  com- 
plain. For  I  will  just  mention  several  things,  the 
truth  of  which  appears  from  what  has  been  already- 
offered  ;  which  servo  to  display  the  excellency  of  our 
present  state  of  trial  under  the  dispensation  of  the 
covenant  of  grace. 

One  peculiar  excellency  of  the  covenant  of  grace 
is  its  containing  provision  for  the  pardon  of  sin.  In 
the  first  covenant  made  with  Adam,  there  was  no 
room  for  pardon  :  but  the  first  sin  was  effectually 
ruinous  and  decisive  of  his  state.  But  in  the  cove- 
nant of  grace  there  is  rich  provision  made  for  the  par- 
don of  many  sins  ;  yea,  even  the  chief  of  sinners  have 
the  hope  of  pardon  and  salvation  set  before  them. 
This  is  a  very  eligible  circumstance  in  our  present 
state,  which  had  noplace  in  the  first  covenant. 

Another  peculiar  excellency  of  our  present  proba^- 
tion  state  is  the  rich  and  sovereign  grace  of  God  free- 
ly exercised  towards  sinners,  through  the  Mediator, 
which  afibrds  great  encouragement  and  grounds  of 
hope  that  we  may  obtain  salvation. 

Here  we  may  consider  how  fair  a  prospect  Adam 
had  of  securing  life,  when  God  made  the  first  cove- 
nant with  him.  The  test  and  trial  of  his  obedience 
must  be  owned  to  be  as  easy  and  favorable  as  could  be 
devised  ;  and  he  had  doubtless  sufficient  str'jngth  for 
the  performance  of  required  obedience.  15 ul  then, 
it  appears  that  his  own  created  strength  and  stability 
were  what  he  had  to  depend  upon  to  preserve  him 
from  falling.  It  is  essential  to  created  nature,  how 
excellent  soever  the  creature  is,  to  be  mutable  :  but 
it  is  the  incommunicable  prerogative  of  the  divine  na- 
ture to  be  independent  and  unchangeable.  And  how 
much  dependence  may  be  put  upon  the  strengh 
and  stability  of  a  raere  creature,  even  in  his  best  estate 


242 

•f  innocence  raid  perfection,  we  may  see  in  Adam* 
We  indeed,  are  ready  to  think,  that  were  we  in  his 
case,  we  would  not  do  as  he  did.  Bat  what  :eason 
iiave  we  for  it  ?  He  Ijad  motives  abundantly  suffi- 
cient, had  he  duly  regarded  them,  to  have  inliuenced 
iiim  tofaithfuhiess  ;  why  tiien  should  not  we  be  as  liable 
to  fall  as  he  ?  It  may  be  suid,  if  the  whole  human  race 
were  each  of  them  to  stand  in  such  a  state  of  trial,  if 
some  fell,  others  would  take  the  warninr^,  and  avoid  sin 
which  they  saw  to  be  so  ruinous  to  others.  It  mig-lit 
be  so  ;  but  who  can  say,  how  many  of  the  human  race 
would  have  acted  that  wise  part  ?  We  now  see,  that 
multitudes  are  far  from  taking  due  warning,  by  tlie 
miscarriages  of  others,  even  in  cases  where  there  is 
DO  room  to  plead  inability.  And  when  we  consider 
how  little  dependence  is  to  be  placed  in  a  mutable 
creature  ;  we  shall  see,  it  is  far  from  being  evident, 
that  a  greater  number  would  obtain  life,  were  they 
placed  in  such  an  easy  state  of  trial  as  Adam  was,  than 
will  now,  in  our  present  state  of  trial  under  the  cove- 
nant  of  grace. 

When  we  consider  that  a  liableness  to  sin  is  essen- 
tial to  a  state  of  trial,  it  will  appear,  there  could  not 
have  been  any  ctTectual  security  of  Adam's  persever- 
ing in  this  trial,  but  by  the  interposition  of  God's  sov- 
ereign, unprouiised  grace.  And  I  see  not  why  it  may 
not  be  said,  that  Adam  was  as  really  dependent  upon 
sovereign  grace  to  preserve  him  from  falling,  as  we 
are  for  our  recovery.  Yea,  and  1  see  not  how  it  is 
possible  for  any  creature  to  be  in  a  state  of  trial,  in  any 
circumstances  whatever,  and  not  be  dependent  upon 
Sovereign  free  grace,  as  his  only  effectual  security. 
The  truth  of  this  isf  evident  not  only  from  the  nature 
<»f  a  state  of  trial  as  it  necessarily  implies  a  possibility 
of  sinning;  biit  also  from.  th«^  necessarily  dependent, 
mutable  nature  of  created  beings.  And  therefore  the 
dependence  of  the  sinner  upon  divine  sovereignty,  in 
a  st.ite  of  trial  under  the  covenant  of  grace,  for  that 
help  and  assistance  by  which  he  shall  be  enabled  to 
make  his  calling  and  election  sure;  is  upon  tlie  whole 


<243 

litlie  or  nolhiiig  different  from  what  must  necessarily 
be  the  case  of  a  creature  in  a  state  ©f  trial  under  any 
constitution  whatever. 

Dependence  on  the  free  and  sovereign  grace  of 
God  for  divine  aid  to  secure  our  salvation,  is  evident- 
ly our  case  ;  but  instead  of  looking  upon  it  with  an 
evil  eye,  we  have  abundant  reason  to  esteem  sovereign, 
grace,  as  a  sovereign  good.  Tor  the  constant  repre- 
sentation of  the  sovereignty  of  God  in  the  great  con- 
cern of  our  salvation,  which  is  set  before  us  in  the  gos- 
pel, is  not  to  make  void,  or  ineffectual,  the  sinner's 
endeavors  to  work  out  his  own  salvation  :  but  to 
point  out  a  source  of  hope,  help  and  relief  to  the  guil- 
ty, under  the  most  distressing  and  discouraging  cir- 
cvimstances.  I  find  no  other  representation  of  our 
dependence  upon  the  sovereign  pleasure  of  God,  in 
the  matter  of  our  salvation,  than  there  is  in  all  other 
affairs  of  life.  It  is  in  God  we  live,  move,  and  have 
our  being.  It  is  the  blessing  of  God  that  maketh 
rich.  We  can  till  our  land,  and  cast  in  the  seed  ;  but 
it  is  the  blessing  of  God  that  gives  us  the  harvest. 
We  can  also  attend  on  the  means  of  grace  ;  but  it  is 
the  blessing  of  God  that  gives  them  an  effectual  and 
saving  influence  on  the  heart  :  we  are  as  dependent 
on  divine  sovereignty  in  the  one  case,  as  in  the  other  ; 
and  there  is  the  same  necessity  of  attending  upon, 
and  improving  the  means  of  grace,  to  obtain  our  sal- 
vation ;  as  there  is  of  improving  the  means  of  provi- 
dence to  obtain  the  good  things  of  this  life.  The 
truth  of  these  remarks  I  take  to  be  evident  from  the 
comparisons  of  things  temporal  with  things  spiritual 
which  so  often  occur  in  the  scripture  ;  particularly 
in  I.  Corinth,  iii.  6.  "  I  have  planted,  Apollos  water- 
ed ;  but  God  gave  the  increase."  These  words  of 
the  apostle  must  be  allowed  to  be  equally  pertinent, 
and  applicable  both  to  the  moral,  and  the  natural 
world 

Dependence  on  the  Creator  is  essential  to,  and  in- 
separable from  created  nature.  And  the  dependence 
of  the  sinner  upon  sovereign  grace  in  the  great  con- 


244 

cem cf  salvation,  is propci-ly  called  valurai (h/icntU ncc^ 
Such  iherefore  as  will  find  lluilt  with  it,  are  in  reali- 
ty findinc^  fault  that  they  are  made  creatures^  and  not 
Gods:  for  it  is  the  incomnnmicable  prerogative  of 
the  God4iead  to  be  independent.  Moral  dependence 
is  a  temper  of  mind  that  corresponds  with  our  natural 
dependence  ;  wherein  the  soul  feels  its  own  depen- 
dence on  God,  with  approbatioa  and  complacency^ 
with  suiti.b!e  exercises  of  heart  toward  him.  This 
moral  dependence,  I  have  shown  to  be  a  very  materi- 
al property  of  that  original  conformity  to  God,  in 
which  that  divine  image  wherein  man  was  created, 
did  consist.  This  dependence  was  blotted  out  of  the 
heart  by  the  apostacy  :  but  it  again  takes  place  in  the 
soul,  in  its  lestoration  to  the  divine  image.  This 
doctrine  of  the  gospel  therefore  v/hich  teacheth  the 
necessary  dependence  of  the  sinner  upon  the  sove- 
reign grace  of  God,  for  needed  divine  influences,  is 
wisely  suited,  and  naturally  tends  to  produce  in  us  a 
feeling  sense  of  our  natural  dependence  ;  and  in  that 
v/ay,  to  work  in  our  hearts  that  temper  of  moral  de- 
pendence whic'.i  is  such  a  raatcrial  part  of  the  divine 
image.  But  all  sucli  roareK/^ntations  of  things  as 
tend  to  prejudice  the  mind  pgaiust,  and  to  take  off  the 
attention  from  this  dependence  upon  .O/'c  end  sovereign 
c;race5  do,  so  far  as  tiieir  influence  prevails,  oppose 
the  reconciliation  ©f  the  heart  to  God,  and  the  recovery 
of  the  soul  to  the  divine  image.  The  satisfaction 
with  which  a  believing  soul,  in  the  lively  exercises  of 
faith,  feels  its  natural  dependence,  and  exercises  mor- 
al dependence,  upon  God,  clearly  shows  that  those 
gloomy  and  desponding  apprehensions  that  arise  in 
the  sinner  respecting  his  dependence  on  the  Creator, 
arise  not  from  any  just  ground  of  objection  that  iie  can 
have  of  it,  but  are  v/holiy  owing  to  his  unacquainted- 
liess  with  God's  character,  and  the  want  of  a  right 
temper  of  mind  towards  him.  Upon  the  whole  then 
when  we  consider  the  unsearchable  riches  of  divine 
grace  towards  the  sinful  children  of  men,  in  providing 
Buch  a  glorious  Savior,  in  setting  up  his  church  in  the 


245 

world,  giving  to  il  such  a  Complete  revciuiion  which  k 
able  to  make  us  wise  to  salvation,  institutinn,-  such 
spiritual  and  heavenly  exercises  of  religious  worship, 
promising  his  divine  assistw.nce  and  the  influences  cf  his 
Holy  Spirit  with  his  church,  and  institutions,  to  ren- 
der them  effectual  for  the  salvation  of  his  people  ; 
and  that  by  these  things,  Christ  as  a  mighty  and  all 
sufficient  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant,  is  currying 
on  a  treaty  of  peace  and  reconciliation  with  God 
among  the  sinful  children  of  men  ;  I  say,  when  wo 
consider  these  blessings,  we  see  abundant  reason  to 
bless  God  for  the  unsearchable  riches  of  his  grace  ; 
in  setting  before  us  such  a  fair  and  glorious  prospect 
of  obtaining  eternal  life  ;  and  notwithstanding  the 
impotence  of  our  fallen  state,  must  acknowledge,  that 
if  we  come  short  of  it  the  fault  will  be  wholly  our 
own. 

God    manifestly  dealt  very  graciously  with  Adam 
m   making   the    first  covenant   with   him  ;    and   he 
thereby    had   a   much    fairer  prospect   of   life   than 
he   would  have  had  if  he  had  stood  under  the  law  of 
his   creation.     And   if  the  state  and    circumstances 
of  our  present  probation  under  the  glorious  Mediator 
of  the  new  covenant  be  but  ft.irly  viewed  ;  it  v/ill  ap- 
pear that  our  prospect  of  obtaining  salvation  ;  provi- 
ded we  would  labor  for  that  meat  which  -v^  iil  endure 
•luito  everlasting   life,  with   equal  diligence  as  we  do 
tor  that  which  pei  ishcth  ;  ia  Sittlo  or  uolhing  sho)  l  of 
ihat  prospect  which  was  set  before  Adam  of  obtaining 
his  immortality,  notwithstanding  all  the  impotence  9i 
our  fallen  state.      In   Adam's  case  under  the   first 
covenant,  any  rational  mind  would  have  judged,  ante- 
cedent to    his   fall   that    the   prospect   of  his  stand- 
ing, compared  to  his  falling,  was  perhaps,  ten   thou- 
sand to  one  ;  yet  v/e  see  he  fell.    So  when  we  consider 
the  rich  provision  divine  grace  has  made  for  the   re- 
covery and  salvation  of  sinners,  we  should  judL>:e  con- 
eerning  all  such  as  live  under  gospel  light,  and  enjoy 
gospel  privileges,   that   the  prospect  of    their    ob- 
t-ainiug    salvation   stands    unspeakably   greater  thaiv 


€if  iheir  coming  short  of  it  ;  were  it  not  for  what 
we  daily  see  among  mankind,  of  their  sloih, 
carelessness,  carnality,  and  voluntary  yieldiiit^  them- 
selves up  to  the  government  of  their  ovvn  lusts  ;  in 
opposition  to  the  dictates  of  reason,  the  remonstrances 
of  conscience  and  the  plain  and  frequent  warnings  of 
God's  word  and  providence.  "  And  now,  O  inhabi- 
tants of  Jerusalem,  and  thou  of  Judah,  judge,  I 
pray  you,  betwixt  me  and  my  vineyard.  What  could 
have  been  done  more  to  my  vineyard  that  1  have  not 
done  in  it  ?  Wherefore,  when  I  looked  that  it  should 
bring  forth  grapes;  brought  it  forth  v.iid grapes  r' 


FINIS'. 


,^c.     ^--^"^^^ 


y  fj , .  ^1.  ^^,'^ 


tiMu^J 


/"A^-  ■'■  ^', ' 


?^^^ 


TW.9 


